Opinion | Baffled by science and a Japanese cartoon character

Punters in Hong Kong are spoilt for choice when it comes to accessing information from the Jockey Club website; myriad replays of races and trials, trackwork times and even reports from the world-class veterinary department – they're all available at the click of a button. But in the case of unwanted 55-1 outsider Luffy yesterday, the detailed diagnosis of his seemingly serious leg issues might have been too much of a good thing.

Luffy loomed as an intriguing runner in a weak Class Four over 1,400m at Sha Tin. As a first starter, he had no prior convictions to hang him for, unlike almost all of his infuriatingly inconsistent rivals. And he was drawn one and seemed to have the necessary speed to take up the coveted box seat behind one-dimensional leader Double Dragon.

Three average trials aside, which at least had him fit, one look at his vet report and the entry for July 31 would have had most doubting whether to part with their hard-earned. Have you got your veterinary text book and dictionary handy? Here goes: “Evidence of sesamoiditis in both front medial proximal sesamoid bones, osteoarthritis and old osteochondritis dissecans lesions in the left front leg and both hind saggital ridges of the distal cannon bones.”

Got that? Good, now go and study veterinary science for five or six years and come back and tell me what it means.