SHA TIN, Hong Kong – Admire Mars turned back Waikuku and won the Group 1, $3.19 million Hong Kong Mile on Sunday at Sha Tin Racecourse as Beauty Generation’s bid for a third straight victory in the race fell flat.

Admire Mars was a longshot on the toteboard and paid $54.40 to win in America – and Christophe Soumillon, riding the Japanese 3-year-old for the first time, couldn’t understand why.

“When I saw the odds on the screen I said, ‘There’s something really wrong there.’ For myself, he should have been in the first four favorites, and I rode my race like he was the favorite,” Soumillon said.

Admire Mars raced mid-pack between horses, stayed in traffic two paths off the fence around the turn, followed Beauty Generation through upper stretch, and got the jump on Waikuku, who loomed a winner under Joao Moreira a furlong out before Admire Mars turned him back.

“I feel Jo coming and he’s coming so quick, I thought it would be hard to push my horse to the line, but fortunately he gave me everything,” said Soumillon.

Waikuku, the second choice, had a tough run breaking from post 10. He jumped from the gate near the front and was head and head with the leaders for a half-furlong before Moreira dragged him back to ninth to avoid being caught wide without cover. The first 400 meters came up a slow 25.13, Waikuku wound up having to rally wide from the 600-meter mark home and ran well in defeat.

“We didn’t have much luck from the gate, and I think that’s what’s got him beaten,” Moreira said.

Beauty Generation had no obvious excuse. After winning his 10th race in a row and setting a Sha Tin course record for 1400 meters in his first start this season, Beauty Generation came into the Mile after consecutive losses. His connections hoped Beauty Generation had a bounce-back race in him, but after tracking Ka Ying Star’s modest tempo, Beauty Generation couldn’t sprint home with the top pair.

“He’s just not finishing off in the straight,” said jockey Zac Purton.

Yasuo Tomomichi trains Admire Mars, whose prominent Japanese owner, Riichi Kondo, passed away last month. Admire Mars rated among the top 2-year-olds in Japan during 2018, winning the Group 1 Asahi Hai Futurity, and in May captured the Group 1 NHK Mile Cup for 3-year-olds. Rested during the summer, Admire Mars could only finish ninth in the Group 3 Fuji Stakes, his Oct. 19 prep for the Mile, but the race was clearly a means to an end.

“Unfortunately, his last run wasn’t very good, but I knew my horse was very strong,” said Soumillon, who credited spending time riding Japanese races this winter for landing the Admire Mars mount.

Admire Mars, by Daiwa Major out of Via Medici, by Medicean, was timed in 1:33.25 for 1600 meters on a firm, fast course. Japanese horses also finished fourth and fifth, with the 4-year-old filly Normcore a neck better than late-running Persian Knight. Another Japanese miler, Indy Champ, was co-favored at just less than 3-1 with Beauty Generation but didn’t get a clean run much of the race and didn’t produce rapid acceleration when finally clear, finishing seventh.