The punters who invested more than HK$22 million on Untold Riches at Sha Tin last Sunday have every right to feel short-changed – he shouldn’t have run.

Hindsight is 20-20, so it’s easy to say that given jockey Zac Purton pulled him up almost immediately after the barriers opened but the veterinary report that followed did not make for good reading.

“Eased out of race shortly after the start as rider concerned horse’s actions. Lame both hind legs, bled from left nostril noted after racing,” it said.

Now, things happen in this sport that cannot be predicted – bad luck can strike anytime and there are countless reasons for a horse to lose a race. However this is not one of those occasions, he’d gone less than 20 metres.

The footage of Untold Riches in the mounting yard pre-race – put on Twitter by former cadet stipendiary steward of the Jockey Club turned bloodstock agent Anthony Fan – is ominous. The horse is clearly sore.

The Jockey Club has vets stationed both in the parade ring and at the start of the race, but they did not pick anything up.

Purton said he didn’t really get the chance to feel the horse stretch out on the way to the gates because he was accompanied by one of the clerks of the course and as soon as the felt the four-year-old go, he took him out of the race.

The trainer Michael Chang Chun-wai must not have noticed anything and Untold Riches passed a veterinary exam on Saturday morning.

There are a lot of checkpoints a horse has to pass before it runs, but there was obviously a breakdown on this occasion. Astonishing for a horse who has had issues in his two previous starts and is starting a short quote again.

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Punters who jumped into the $3.9 the win and $1.9 the place never got a run for their money – as well as all of those who had Untold Riches in their exotics.

It’s not good enough – customers need to be protected from incidents like this.

We’ll take the glass half-full view and assume it is a one-off incident, but those in charge – particularly at the veterinary level – need to use it as a wake-up call, review their processes and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Who wins Champion Griffin?

When you think about the best young horse in Hong Kong this season, the answer should be unanimous – Courier Wonder.

John Size’s gun three-year-old has powered up the ratings – from 52 to 107 – winning all five of his starts in impressive fashion, including the Group Three Sha Tin Vase at his last outing.

He looks a genuine Group One horse who, with a little extra development, could dominate the sprint ranks for years to come.

Despite his unrivalled CV, he will not be named Champion Griffin at Tuesday night’s Champion Awards because of a technicality.

To be eligible to win the prize, horses have to be unraced, be either two or three on the date of the first Hong Kong race meeting and carry the import brand from that season, in this case the letter “E”.

Courier Wonder fits two of the three, but his crime? He arrived late in the previous season, hitting the ground in May, so he’s classified as a “D” horse (D449 to be exact), despite the fact he had no chance of racing in that campaign.

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It’s an embarrassing oversight, but there is a really simple correction – just make it for unraced two- and three-year-olds at the beginning of the term. It solves the problem immediately.

The two nominees – Fantastic Treasure and Killer Bee – are nice horses and represent the next generation of top-class Hong Kong horses, but there is no doubt that Courier Wonder is the more deserving candidate.

Hopefully, it is addressed and corrected in the off-season.

Whyte and Chau on the rise

After pointing out a couple of areas where there is room for improvement, it is time to praise the Jockey Club for its decision to have Douglas Whyte mentor apprentice Jerry Chau Chun-lok.

The evolution of Chau’s riding is there for all to see – most notably in his recent wins aboard Will Power, Mister Snowdon and, on Wednesday night, Rainbow Light.

It couldn’t happen without Whyte in his corner, the 13-time champion jockey fully invested in his development and determined to help make Chau the best rider he can be.

There is no doubt the 21-year-old has ability, but being a top-class rider requires more than that – you need to be tactically proficient, you need to read races and make split-second decisions, you need to execute under pressure, you need confidence. There is a lot of nuance to it.

Few have ever done it better than Whyte and the knowledge he is imparting on Chau is invaluable.

There were a few raised eyebrows when Whyte was allocated Chau so early in his training career – particularly given the youngster was brought back from Australia a year earlier than planned – but it has proven to be a masterstroke for all concerned.

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Whyte has been fully committed to the process, giving tough love when required, an arm around the shoulder when needed and a pat on the back when it is deserved.

And credit to Chau – Whyte works him hard and he has responded to that in a positive manner, he possesses a terrific attitude and has now found the right balance between competitiveness and recklessness in his races.

Their partnership is one of the success stories of the season.