Where was Samuel L. Jackson when we needed him on Saturday? And why did turnovernoia strike at Sha Tin?
The Jockey Club's version of Steve Irwin (sans stingray) managed to catch a python, which was doubtless minding its own business, perhaps catching a few rays of sun, near the tying up stalls on the members' car park side of the racecourse.
Since the horses have to walk out to the track past there, he had to go, though he was not a poisonous snake, nor a real danger to anyone.
We hear that the club's on-air commentators were then warned not to mention the snake - for fear of it affecting betting turnover.
English commentator Brett Davis was apparently out of the loop, didn't get that particular memo and threw out a comment on the snake that was quickly stepped on by his fellow commentators.
Now, we don't claim to be scholars of Chinese mythology but, from a quick Googling or Yahooing or two, the best we can find is that Chinese mythology is pretty much ambiguous about where the snake lies. There seem to be as many stories about good snakes as about evil ones.