Rank outsider River Dancer fended off the challenge of British entry Scott's View to win the £1m Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong.
The 50-1 shot, ridden by Glynn Schofield, produced a stunning late burst to net the £575,540 first prize in the first leg of the World Series.
Elegant Fashion came in second, with the Mark Johnston-trained Scott's View finishing third at the Sha Tin course.
The event was part one of the season-long 13-race championship.
Hong Kong derby winners and pre-race favourites Elegant Fashion and Lucky Owners had made much of the running in a race devoid of many international entries.
And the New Zealand-born Schofield timed his run to perfection to edge River Dancer clear in the final stages.
Scott's View's third-place finish was especially sweet for local-born jockey Stanley Chin, making his first appearance in Hong Kong since being kicked out of the territory for involvement in a race-fixing scandal.
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