Placed on Godolphin's High-Rise in 1999, Dettori carried the same colours on Fantastic Light for his return to Tokyo.

And the British-based Italian rider just came off worst in a close finish to the mile-and-a-half event worth 476m yen (�3m).

His mount, sent off a 17-2 chance, was beaten only a neck and a nose by the winner and fellow local hope Meisho Doto to earn third prize of �375,000.

T M Opera O, trained by Ichizo Iwamoto and ridden by Ryuji Wada, started 2-1 favourite having won all his previous six races this year.

Dettori, who won the Japan Cup on Singspiel in 1996, was followed home by Olivier Peslier who finished fourth on the Michael Jarvis-trained Ela Athena.

Pat Eddery took 10th place on John Dunlop's Golden Snake, with Michael Roberts 12th of 16 on Mark Johnston's Fruits of Love.

French horse Reve d'Oscar, ridden by Gerald Mosse for Myriam Bollack-Badel, finished seventh.

Japan Cup, 1m4f, Tokyo Racecourse
1 T M Opera O (R Wada) 2-1
2 Meisho Doto ( Y Yasuda) 14-1
3 Fantastic Light (L Dettori) 17-2

Also: 4 Ela Athena; 5 Daiwa Texas; 6 Matikane Kinnohoshi; 7 Reve d'Oscar; 8 Stay Gold;
9 John's Call; 10 Golden Snake; 11 Timboroa; 12 Fruits of Love; 13 Agnes Flight; 14 Air Shakur; 15 Eagle Cafe; 16 Silk Prima Donna.