Japan have the final say in Emirates Dubai World Cup with Ushba Tesoro

Ushba Tesoro is an exceptionally towering, palatial, sturdy, thoroughbred, who manufactured a similarly mammoth result for Japan in the £10 million Emirates Dubai World Cup.

Ushba Tesoro (Yuga Kawada 10-1), saw Algiers (James Doyle 3-1), assuming the position to close in on Bendoog and claim a grand prize.

Ushba was to allow none of that. Trainer, Noboru Takagi, knew his entrant was more than capable of causing an upset to Ed and Simon Crisford's, Algiers. Of course, it is no shame coming second by a mere 2.75 lengths, beating everything else.

The win exemplified Japan's global dominance after the presiding of Derma Sotogake in the UAE Derby, and, Equinox (both under Christophe Lemaire), in the Sheema Classic. Their second success in the World Cup after Victoire Pisa's breakthrough in 2011.

Ushba Tesoro is a quirky six-year-old.  He hated ordinary turf races, but when switched to dirt, took flight in the Tokyo Daishoten, and, Kawasaki Kinen. Yuga Kawada is Japan's champion jockey.

He said: ''It was his inaugural overseas run, so there were automatic queries about travel and surface. Nothing mattered on the day. Ushba's composure was flawless. He seemed aware of the importance of such an event. There were eight Japanese horses involved.  Yutaka Yoshida rode Panthalassa. My horse jumped quite well, but the majority of other Japanese runners were sauntering mid-to-back of the pack. Imagine, I had never ridden Ushba before. We stayed at the back just admiring how fast the others were going. Then at the corner, it was time to turn on Ushba's engine. What a feeling as he passed everything in the ten-furlong spectacle."

It was very amusing for the massive crowd to watch Ushba, splattered in mud, still full of energy in the enclosure. He kept on bucking as if the reality of this nature required an extra show - just like his father Orfevre. You may remember Orfevre was denied the 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Connections are considering a possible tilt at the same race with Ushba.

Bookmakers already quote 20-1. It is one of the few significant prizes Japan has yet to seize. In the meanwhile, it is time to settle down and rest on laurels in his paddock.

Algiers had a fabulous journey until he started treading water, just holding off Emblem Road. Frankie Dettori rode a beautiful race on Lord North in the Dubai Turf, but could only catch the seventh place on last year's triumphant, Country Grammer, in the Dubai World Cup. 

When Frankie retires at the end of this season, it will be a heartbreak for all of us.