One of the curiosities of Japanese racing which would surprise Hong Kong people in particular is the number of geldings.
In a racing scene with just under 8,000 horses in training, and over 60 per cent of them male, less than 300 of the runners there are geldings.
With the enormous money available for stallions, doubtless every owner - and many of the horses are run under stud-farm ownerships - is hoping to find the next big horse there and still have him intact for that residual value.
Other aspects of a day at the races in Tokyo which leave an impression are the jockeys running through the paddock to mount their horses - looking to all intents and purposes like a game of musical chairs for a better ride - and the (almost) cult status of the starter.
When ready for the entrants to go into the stalls, the starter rises skyward on a mechanical lift and raises a red flag - cheered and mimicked in his actions by Sunday's crowd of over 75,000 for events large and small alike.