One of the bizarre, unmentioned aspects of the strong Japanese involvement on Sunday at the International meeting was the betting patterns. Without warning - or any really obvious pattern - the Japanese runners were the subject of some heavy support on the tote but the punters were not quite as successful as the racehorses.
All the suggestions from the form of the sprint runners Mejiro Darling and Daitaku Yamato were that there was not a great deal between them. That didn't stop somebody crunching the odds of Mejiro to a niggardly $32 favourite, but she was never a chance and finished 12 lengths from Falvelon - and almost four lengths behind Daitaku Yamato, who went off at $150.
With just one rep in the Vase, the support for Stay Gold was overwhelming, bringing him as low as $17 at one point before he ran $20 and managed to justify the price by winning in stunning fashion. It was on again in the Mile - there did not seem to be a great deal between Zenno El Cid and Eishin Preston in Japan but the former started $20 and the latter $240.
The Japanese support was the only reason Hong Kong punters were able to take a luxurious $47 about Electronic Unicorn but Eishin Preston was the stumbling block as the Japanese finished at opposite ends of the race.
On paper, Agnes Digital looked at least as good as any of his compatriots but the same heavy-handed support did not materialise. Maybe the chips were down just too far after three throws and one hit. Still, the way the Japanese winners went, there was a strong case for enquiries stewards held into the beaten ones. When they were good they were very, very good - when they were bad they were near enough to last.
The Jockey Club has been at pains to emphasise that International races are not for turnover's sake - the betting on even the most popular, the Mile, was lower than all but one of the local events and the day down overall - but it might be just as well if the Japanese become regulars in future. Last weekend's plunger will have 12 months to fill up the pockets again.