THE Japanese victory at Flemington has been welcomed by the one group of punters perhaps most likely to resent the sporting invasion.

At the Clovelly RSL and Airforce Club in Sydney’s east, the reaction was entirely positive: the horses were magnificent, the race was superb, and the win by a Japanese horse would only enhance the Cup’s reputation as a great race.

“It’s another invasion. We’d better put up the balustrades and restrict these overseas horses,” joked Paul Heathwood, 72. Then he revealed the real reason why he’s “dirty”: he didn’t back the winner.

“I am a typical Australian. I said, `this Japanese jockey is going to fall off’.”