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John Singleton may be charged with bringing racing into disrepute next week but he has done racing a favour by instigating the More Joyous scandal in the minutes before the All Aged Stakes last month.
Regardless of what sections of the media will have you believe, the More Joyous inquiry is important for one key issue, the conflict of interest – perceived, actual or otherwise – that exists at Gai Waterhouse’s Tulloch Lodge.
And it will continue to exist for as long as her husband and son, Robbie and Tom, field bets on races where Gai has runners.
If Racing NSW cares as much about the integrity of racing as they say, they must right a wrong that should never have been allowed to fester from the moment Gai was granted her training licence in January 1992.
The stewards must not allow family members of a trainer to take bets on races where the related trainer has runners engaged.
Racing NSW doesn’t want to take that step.
Instead they’d prefer the Waterhouses sign statutory declarations that Gai will not share sensitive information on horses she trains with her bookmaker husband and son.
But that’s a band-aid solution. And it treats the More Joyous inquiry with an air of triviality.
Racing NSW is kidding itself if it thinks punters believe this saga is the first of its kind and just a ‘Waterhouse issue’.
There doesn’t appear to be enough evidence at Racing NSW headquarters to find a case against Tom Waterhouse – everything points to a More Joyous victory in the All Aged Stakes being a good result for the bookmaker.
But even if the stewards found Tom stood to win a fortune if More Joyous lost, under the rules of Australian racing, what exactly could Tom Waterhouse be accused of doing wrong?
There’s currently no rule that states a bookmaker can’t oppose the champion mare trained by his mother.
And even if the trainer told her son the bookmaker who opposes the champion mare that the mare “had problems”, there’s still not much action the stewards can take against that bookmaker.
This has to change.
Gai Waterhouse’s failure to inform stewards of treatment applied to heat in the neck of More Joyous should result in heavy punishment for the great trainer.
Gai’s actions are aggravated because her husband and son fielded bets on the race in question, regardless of how much Tom or Robbie knew of MJ’s condition.
Furthermore, Gai’s actions are made worse again because More Joyous put in arguably the worst run of her career in the All Aged.
And the race crushed the great mare. For nine days after the All Aged, More Joyous wasn’t well enough to pick grass.
Two vets, Dr Leanne Begg from Waterhouse’s stable and Dr John Peatfield from Singleton’s Strawberry Hills farm, gave More Joyous the ‘all-clear’ to run.
But if Gai Waterhouse had informed stewards about the issues the mare faced in the lead-up to the race, there’s every chance More Joyous would’ve undergone numerous independent veterinary inspections before being passed fit to run.
And the public would’ve been informed of her health concerns.
If, after numerous inspections, More Joyous was passed fit by Racing NSW vets and still ran second last, this would be a non-issue. There’d be no inquiry and there’d be no talk of any conflicts of interest.
More Joyous is the real fall girl in this saga but she’s taken one for the sport.
Racing NSW must ensure there’s never another More Joyous situation.
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