By mid-October, the autumn stakes calendar hits full stride across Asia, and if you spent the weekend jumping between Kyoto, Tokyo, Sha Tin, and the sand ovals in Seoul and Busan, your coffee pot probably worked overtime.
While your coffee pot was putting in the hours, we were doing the same looking back at the weekend’s races and compiling the headline numbers from a loaded weekend. Check out our recap and explore daily racecards on GLD Racing to see the numbers in action across all races in Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
The Weekend Leaderboard: Top GLD Speed Figures
| Horse Name | Jockey | Race | GLD Rating | Late Pace | GLD Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MONROE WALK | K. Tosaki | G1 Shuka Sho (2000m | Turf) | 121 | 119 | 7/2 |
| LIGHT YEARS CHARM | K. Teetan | G2 Sha Tin Trophy (1600m | Turf) | 118 | 116 | 35/1 |
| SUGAR KUN | S. Yoshimura | G2 Fuji Stakes (1600m | Turf) | 113 | 119 | 55/1 |
| INVINCIBLE IBIS | Z. Purton | Sha Tin R10 (C2, 1400m | Turf) | 106 | 114 | 4/5 |
| PACKING GLORY | K. Teetan | Sha Tin R7 (C3, 1200m | Turf) | 102 | 95 | 8/5 |
| DANON THE VOLCANO | F. Matsuwaka | Kyoto R11 (Open, 1400m | Dirt) | 100 | 96 | 7/1 |
| CIRCUIT GRAND | K. C. Leung | Sha Tin R9 (C3, 1200m | Turf) | 99 | 92 | 29/1 |
| COURS MIRABEAU | T. Yokoyama | L Brazil Cup (2100m | Dirt) | 97 | 95 | 9/5 |
| CAPITAL STONE | T. Ono | L Ivy Stakes (1800m | Turf) | 94 | 105 | 12/1 |
| ONE PUNCH DRAGON | Kim Yong-geun | Seoul R11 (C1, 1400m | Dirt) | 91 | 109 | 4/1 |
In no surprise, the winners of the marquee stakes races of the weekend top our leaderboard. MONROE WALK put on an exceptional display in the G1 Shuka Sho under Keita Tosaki to headline the weekend with LIGHT YEARS CHARM making a strong push from Sha Tin. It’s difficult to quantify just how impressive a win in a 17-horse G1 stakes race really is, even with the most advanced speed ratings in Japanese racing found at GLD. A 121 is exceptional on its own, but I highly advise watching this replay again and keeping MONROE WALK in your virtual stable.
Runners To Watch For A Bounce-Back
| Horse Name | Jockey | Race | GLD Rating | Late Pace | GLD Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GARAVOGUE (2nd) | K. Yokoyama | G1 Shuka Sho (2000m | Turf) | 120 | 116 | 5/1 |
| DREAM CORE (3rd) | C. Lemaire | G1 Shuka Sho (2000m | Turf) | 119 | 122 | 5/2 |
| PATCH OF THETA (2nd) | M. F. Poon | G2 Sha Tin Trophy (1600m | Turf) | 115 | 109 | 35/1 |
| MY WISH (3rd) | Z. Purton | G2 Sha Tin Trophy (1600m | Turf) | 114 | 117 | 9/10 |
| SKY JEWELLERY (4th) | A. Badel | G2 Sha Tin Trophy (1600m | Turf) | 114 | 117 | 4/1 |
| AMPADU (2nd) | M. Iwata | G2 Fuji Stakes (1600m | Turf) | 112 | 117 | 14/1 |
| MAGIC SANDS (4th) | K. Yokoyama | G2 Fuji Stakes (1600m | Turf) | 110 | 118 | 2/1 |
| JUNE BANDIT (2nd) | D. Matsuda | Kyoto R12 (2W, 1800m | Turf) | 99 | 111 | 60/1 |
| FORTISSIMO (2nd) | A. Badel | Sha Tin R5 (C4, 1600m | Turf) | 97 | 104 | 9/5 |
| KORALLION (2nd) | C. Lemaire | L Ivy Stakes (1800m | Turf) | 93 | 109 | 5/2 |
I’ll be keeping an eye on where some of these runner-ups from our stakes weekend will go next, but they are certainly worth keeping on the board of horses to watch for a big run next time out. I expected big performances from MY WISH and MAGIC SANDS and both came up short. If some of these runners can find a good spot to run back, I think we have some very capable winners who just didn’t have their best day (KA YING RISING, anyone?)
Explore Today's Live Racecards & Past Performances
As always at GLD Racing, Race 1 is 100% FREE on every single racecard across Hong Kong, Japan (JRA & NAR), and South Korea in our Live Race Previews (`gldracing.com/preview`).
- Check the Benchmarks: Compare every runner's figure against multi-season norms on our Empirical Class Pars (`/stats/class-pars`) and Barrier & Running-Style Bias Dashboard (`/stats/track-bias`).
- Ready to make smarter bets? Unlock all the GLD Racing features and insights—including full-card GLD Speed Figures, GLD Line market projections, First-Turn Pace Maps, and exotic ticket blueprints—at gldracing.com.
Trust the numbers, watch the boards, and as always—
Good luck!
— Johnny Burke
Disclaimer: GLD Racing is an independent analytical service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operating on behalf of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), the Japan Racing Association (JRA), the National Association of Racing (NAR), or the Korea Racing Authority (KRA). All speed figures, track variants, and sectional analyses are for informational and entertainment purposes only.
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