JRA History Made: A Single 100-Yen Bet Returns Over ¥58 Million in Shocking Kokura Upset!

On January 31, 2026, the horse racing world was stunned by an astounding Sanrentan (3-pick exacta) payout of 58,367,060 yen – the highest in JRA history – in the 6th race at the Kokura Racecourse, part of the Central Horse Racing circuit. A mere 100-yen ticket transformed instantly into over 58 million yen, truly embodying the dream of a 'dream ticket'.

This historic upset occurred in an 18-horse race, with the 18th favorite, Kashino Liana, finishing first, followed by the 17th favorite, Sussan Air, in second, and the 10th favorite, Confianza, in third – a combination no one could have predicted. The consecutive victories of longshots resulted in a Sanrentan payout that significantly surpassed all previous JRA records.

Only one ticket nationwide managed to hit this ultra-high payout. For the lucky winner, it must have been a life-changing day. On social media, expressions of astonishment poured in, such as '100 yen became 50 million!', 'Impossible to bet on!', and 'Too insane!', fueling widespread excitement over this 'legendary day'.

Kokura Racecourse was indeed full of upsets that day. Despite it being a non-stakes race day, not only the Sanrentan but also the Exacta (Umatan), Quinella (Umaren), and Wide (Waidon) saw record-breaking payouts. Out of the 12 races held that day, 10 produced 'Manbaken' (10,000 yen or more) Sanrentan payouts, and 6 races recorded high payouts of over 100,000 yen, making it truly a 'Great Labyrinth' of a day.

For horse racing fans, such major upsets are one of the true thrills of the sport, and this event served as a reminder of the potential to gain immense wealth from a 100-yen bet. This shocking payout will undoubtedly be remembered and recounted as a legend for years to come.

The context

To help non-Japanese readers understand this article, here's some background information:

• JRA (Japan Racing Association): This is the organization that operates Central Horse Racing in Japan, one of the world's largest and most popular horse racing circuits.
• Kokura Racecourse: Located in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, it's one of the ten JRA racecourses. It's known for its relatively compact track and occasional surprising results.
• Sanrentan (3-pick exacta): A type of bet where you must correctly predict the first, second, and third-place finishers in exact order. It's one of the hardest bets to hit, but offers the highest potential payouts. The record-breaking payout mentioned here is for this specific bet.
• Popular pick/Longshot: In horse racing, horses are assigned 'popularity' rankings (e.g., 1st favorite, 18th favorite) based on the amount of money bet on them. A 'longshot' (or 'ana-uma') is a horse with low popularity, meaning fewer people expect it to win. When multiple longshots finish in the top positions, it creates a 'major upset' (ooburan) and leads to extremely high payouts.
• Manbaken: A term in Japanese horse racing referring to a payout of 10,000 yen or more for a single 100-yen bet. It signifies a high-paying outcome.
• Umatan (Exacta): Correctly pick the first two finishers in exact order.
• Umaren (Quinella): Correctly pick the first two finishers in any order.
• Wide (Waidon): Correctly pick two horses that finish in the top three, in any order. This bet pays out three times if there are three different horses in the top three.