DIAMOND Coast was sensationally disqualified after winning the seventh event when international riding star Damien Oliver weighed in 1.2 pounds light during high drama at Sha Tin last night.
In the process, some $5.5 million in win and place bets went down the plughole amid angry scenes outside the weighing-room as two irate local punters stood shouting at Jockey Club officials demanding their money back.
But the race-meeting stewards had no option under the Rules of Racing but to disqualify the Neville Begg-trained four-year-old, the 5.9-1 second favourite who passed the post an emphatic 13/4 lengths to the good of Wang Tak Supreme.
Philip Johnston, the Jockey Club's director of racing, explained: ''There is a discretion of a pound already built into the Rules. Once a rider weighs in more than a pound light the Rule then states that he shall be disqualified.
''There are no ifs or buts or maybes about it. He has to be disqualified and it doesn't matter if he won by eight or 10 lengths.'' Oliver agreed with the Clerk of the Scales verdict that he weighed in light by 1.2 pounds and explained that he had been wearing a sweat jacket and had urinated between weighing out for the ride on Diamond Coast, who was set to carry 134 pounds.
''I was wearing a sweat jacket as I had a fairly light ride coming up in the last.