The long-held truism that any publicity is good publicity is being seriously challenged by a racing industry jaded by an ongoing circus that makes this week’s notoriously loud Eurovision Song Contest look comparatively tame.
(I’ve finally succeeded in getting a Eurovision reference into an article about Gai and Singo. Score.)
Seriously though, this fiasco has only served to remind the wider community of the negative aspects of the racing industry.
At first, I believed racing would only benefit from the More Joyous affair. Racing splashed across the front pages outside of carnival time? Even if there is some negativity, what’s bad about that?
But as it has continued on and on, dominating air time and newspaper space, it has become clear there is no benefit for racing in this scandal.
Chief steward Ray Murrihy told the gathered media corps the matter had been dealt with thoroughly, but also as quickly as possible.
I’m not sure that’s accurate.
After the ‘trumped up, beaten up jockey, the famous footballer and the brothel owner’ didn’t turn up last week, should they have been given a second opportunity to appear, given all three had knocked back the chance the first time around?
Sanction them and end it right there, given they could easily have been charged on the evidence presented last week.
The former jockey, Allan Robinson, especially seemed to take the inquiry none too seriously.
He acted like a petulant child, demanding the opportunity to present new evidence (which he’d failed to mention at his first appearance as a witness). When this was denied, he sat there stubbornly, silence enveloping the room, before he stormed out of the inquiry.
Was the theatre really necessary?
The other two characters look to have been pulled straight from the Italian theatre form commedia dell’arte, which is renowned for its tragic yet humourous play on stereotypes.
Andrew Johns, renowned for his calm under pressure as a rugby league player, looked anything but relaxed.
Despite his professional appearance, he looked weary, stressed and slightly dishevelled. Quite frankly, he looked dreadful.
If it wasn’t so sad, it would have been comical.
As for Eddie Hayson, the brothel owner… well, what more can you expect?
He added nothing to the inquiry except salacious headlines for the mainstream media.
I’m still scratching my head as to how Jeff Fenech’s wife Suzee is related to the scandal at all, except for a tenuous link to Hayson.
And yet, she was touted as a new identity in Waterhousegate. Please.
At least it looks like the time of hearing from this gang of ghouls about the saga is over.
Alas, the inquiry continues.
Gai Waterhouse, in her wisdom, has decided to contest charges under the Australian rules of racing that she didn’t record the treatments given to More Joyous properly and failed in her obligation to inform stewards of such treatments.
She admitted the treatments were not recorded properly, although she has argued she has never hidden the procedures.
Still, she has erred by not keeping her books in order and as a result, she has next to no chance of getting off on that charge.
I also firmly believe Waterhouse should have informed stewards about the condition of More Joyous, for the ethical implications are enormous.
If she’d reported it in the first place, it’s unlikely this hearing would have taken place.
Really, all it has done is ensure this ailing matter gets another extra week of unwanted, unneeded and stale coverage.
Like most in the racing game, I’m ready to move on. Next?
Drew H
Guest
Now that all the owners and punters have run away, and many people are saying "you know nothing about bookmaking", I remember the days when a new bookmaker would come on to the scene with his minimum bag size and get eaten up by the well established bookmakers. The cash can also be stolen from one bookmaker by another. The 80's had a terrible success rate of new bookies. Lay-off is important OR any exposure is rortable.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Andrew I think it is fair to say that most of us know the truth and if we don't we can make an educated guess. Knowing and proving are two different things which is why this hearing was doomed before it started and why the guys didn't want to front for the initial chat. They knew it would be a waste of time and they were correct. Singo got a slap and Gai will get one soon, big deal. Phone records proved zero and checking local ledgers and corp bookie transactions only proved that they held more on All Too Hard than Tom Waterhouse held on all the runners combined........Either he's not a big bookie or a very good at altering his ledger.
Andrew Hawkins
Expert
I would love to expose the truth - but I doubt I could with the limited resources at my disposal. I think you'll see something like Four Corners do far more than I ever could.
Drew H
Guest
yes jules..........maybe. But if the journo does not create a starting point then there is nowhere to move afterwards. Every slant is good for me. I only want my 2 bob's worth, and not to educate the entire country. If you only put $20 into the punt pool then you know that the race will not be swung on your money. The point you make about the heads of racing is good. Murrihy should make more decisions and be swift in handing out penalty. He is currently too ovate. My point is a bit like the old game of cricket. ie. the umpire just makes the decision, right or wrong. ahhhh..............perhaps that's dangerous. I don't know. I go for ONE TOTE, and no fixed price betting at all. We now have the power of computers. Why go the way they have? It's the wrong developement.
jules
Guest
What a disgusting debacle. The stewards fine Singo 'for bringing disrepute to the sport', when in fact he was fined for 'exposing the sports worst scams'. Murrihy needs to show some strength here, and not just place a fine on the whistleblower. He should take a stand and has the opportunity here to make a difference. However, to me it looks like he wants to stop anyone exposing the truth. It is little wonder a racing journo like Andrew Hawkins wants to move on, if he was to expose the truth behind this and other debacles he too would face the 'disrepute' tag, and it would end a fledgling journo career. 'Nothing to see here', what a joke. If you cannot see that there is something seriously wrong with a leading trainer, having breakfast conversations with her husband and son who just both happen to be leading bookmakers (one who has been warned off racetracks for involvement in ring ins), then you are exactly the type of person that Murrihy wants and needs to sweep racing's dark secrets and scams under the carpet.
Bobbo7
Guest
Corrupt sport. The powers that be would rather sweep it under the table. Gai Waterhouse should be banned from racing .
Billy Mack
Guest
Everyone keeps saying that there were no winners in this saga, Singo as usual fell on his feet and won $85,000. Ah, wish all my bad results were that good
Simmo
Guest
Maybe Gai got a lesson about keeping owners in the loop? I reckon Singo was echoing just about every owner in his outburst which meant " How come, when I pay the bills, I'm always the last to know?"
Drew H
Guest
Robbo might have wanted to do the biggest of whistle blowing in his second statement. I wonder if the stewards want the biggest admissions on behalf of the entire industry. Absolutely not. They have plenty of grandstands yet to build.
Greg
Guest
Racing is most definately 'worse for wear' for the MJ bust up. It has shone a spot light on the merky world of racing and its "colourful identities". Robbo may have been good to those who owned his mounts when riding; but to offer to tell the truth (after giving evidence) upon certain conditions being met is a scandal. Why is he not charged with bring the show into disrepute for that offer? As for Joey, why so worried unless you have something to hide. Was the $100 bet on MJ a form of insurance against any allegation of prior knowledge? Maybe Robbo knows, but the stewards will never know now.
Red Menace
Guest
I haven't backed a Gai Waterhouse horse in over 5 years and I will never do so. To me Sydney racing is tainted. I very rarely bet on Sydney races, probably won't from now on. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Justin Cinque
Expert
I think you're pretty much spot on.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
The REAL issue is why did MJ start when there is clearly a mountain of tangible and hearsay evidence that she should not have? The stewards and the public who invested millions on her were entitled to know prior to the race what Tom told Joey and what Joey told Ed and what Ed told Robbo and what Robbo told Singo. What we do know is that the "mail" was 100% correct and the Stewards are toothless tigers.
Andrew C (waikato)
Guest
What I really want to know is IS SINGO GOING TO SHOUT THE BAR AFTERWARDS ?............ or just SHOUT? :)
Andrew C (waikato)
Guest
........... with a wet bus ticket? :)
Andrew C (waikato)
Guest
Love the analogy, Justin :) But surely not the same taste in attire ?? :)
uPelican
Guest
The public have probably put this 'sport' in the same category as boxing anyway when it comes to issues like 'confidentiality' , 'probity', 'tansparency'. Its a good laugh to see them taking themselves seriously.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
It will be very interesting to see what punishment Gai Waterhouse gets next week. My tip is a slap on the wrist.
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Andrew, you're right, nothing good for racing came out of yesterday. In retrospect, Stewards would have been better off to throw the book at the three "colourful racing identities" for not fronting the first inquiry, knowing that they weren't likely to get much useful out of them if they finally did appear. Happy to accept Drew's assertion above that Robbo is a well meaning, loyal bloke who does the right thing by owners, but in reality, he didn't attend the first hearing when requested, then at the second hearing gave his evidence, but then after a break, made an offer to stewards that if they let him have another go he'd this time tell the truth - but only under certain conditions?? And Joey stamped himself as an early contender for this year's Darwin Awards by - despite all the knocks on the horse - still betting on it to win...??? As you say Andrew, a circus, and a pretty shoddy one at that. All started by Gai of course, forget all the distractions on the side, she deserves her right whack next week. I still reckon it comes back to the Cox Plate barrier draw and a change in the Gai/Singo relationship as a result. In previous years she would surely have called him before the race, or he called her, to chew the fat, in which case none of this would have happened.
Justin Cinque
Expert
Probably the tic-tac sign language used in English betting rings and so eloquently conveyed by John McCririck on Channel 4 racing before his sacking ;)