Racing tells Tom: grow up
Singo guilty over More Joyous conduct
John Singleton has admitted his his actions before the All Aged Stakes was "inappropriate and regretful".
Tom Waterhouse may be formally prevented from linking his business to the activities of his renowned trainer mother Gai, despite the bookmaker being cleared at the More Joyous stewards’ inquiry of passing on inside information about the horse’s health.
Racing NSW is expected to consider what ‘‘checks and balances’’ can be placed on the family, with the chief steward concluding on Monday that the public perception had clearly questioned if the mother and son had a mutually agreeable arrangement.
By the end of Monday’s dramatic hearing, the saga’s main protagonists, Gai Waterhouse and the horse’s owner John Singleton, had been charged.
Mrs Waterhouse denied charges that she failed to tell stewards of the mare’s ill health, while Mr Singleton pleaded guilty and was fined $15,000 for his ‘‘regrettable’’ conduct before the running of the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 27.
Mr Waterhouse, who runs his online betting business with the help of a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign and appearances on Channel Nine’s NRL coverage, was all smiles when he left the inquiry on Monday night.
In his ruling, Mr Murrihy found there was ‘‘no evidence’’ to confirm that Mr Waterhouse ‘‘knew inside information concerning More Joyous" when he spoke with NRL legend Andrew Johns on the Thursday night before the race.
‘‘There’s simply no evidence ... that between when Mrs Waterhouse found out at midday on Thursday [that the horse was not in peak condition] and you spoke to Andrew Johns at about 4pm [on the same day, that] directly or indirectly, there was communications from Mrs Waterhouse to you,’’ Mr Murrihy said.
But he cautioned Mr Waterhouse to ‘‘isolate’’ his bookmaking business from his mother’s role as a leading Australian racing trainer.
‘‘You must take care, and we say to you in the form of a direction, you must not in your advertising and commentary, get too close to the bone in using the Waterhouse name and using mother’s name.’’
Outside the inquiry, Mr Murrihy said he hoped the ruling had left Mr Waterhouse with ‘‘the very strong thought that he should ensure public perception doesn’t join Gai Waterhouse Stables with his bookmaking operation’’.
He said he expected Racing NSW might ‘‘add some layers to’’ his ruling, but declined to comment further.
‘‘(There simply) needs to be a clear line between what he’s doing and what his mother is doing being a very successful trainer,’’ he said.
The charges related to Mr Singleton exchanging heated words with Mrs Waterhouse in the mounting yard before his horse ran a dismal race in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 27, and for making unsubstantiated claims on television accusing Mr Waterhouse of leaking inside information that his horse couldn’t win.
He was fined $20,000 but this was reduced to $15,000 because of his early guilty plea and his being of good character.
For her part, Mrs Waterhouse has pleaded not guilty to two charges relating to failing to inform the stewards that the mare had ‘‘heat in the neck’’ and was unable to bend down to eat grass before the race.
She has also been charged with failing to keep proper records of the medications given to More Joyous, a claim she will vigorously contest when the stewards reconvene next Monday.
Earlier in the day, NRL legend Andrew Johns, brothel-owning mega-punter Eddie Hayson and former jockey Allan Robinson were asked about the ‘‘Chinese whispers’’ between them that led Mr Singleton to end his lengthy professional relationship with Mrs Waterhouse.
It was all much as has previously been reported, with Mr Hayson adding the curious extra information that it wasn’t just Johns from whom he had heard the horse wasn’t at his best.
He told the stewards two other people – one he described as a friend, the other as somebody with ‘‘a connection’’ to the Waterhouse stables – had told him More Joyous had been treated by vets all week and shouldn’t run.
‘‘Everyone knew the horse had problems, except poor Singo,’’ he said.
In regard to the future of Mr Waterhouse’s brand, NSW Sports Minister Graham Annesley said there needed to be ‘‘a clear delineation between sport and sports betting’’.
‘‘The proliferation of betting advertising in sports broadcasting recently has definitely blurred that line,’’ he said.
Independent federal senator Nick Xenophon went further, saying it was ‘‘an understatement’’ to view the Waterhouse connection as an unholy alliance.
‘‘If there was ever a case for reform of the racing industry to strengthen integrity, this is it,’’ he said.
‘‘It seems extraordinary that they are giving John Singleton a fine ... they are shooting the messenger for speaking up.’’
An expert in advertising branding said the stewards’ instructions to Mr Waterhouse had come too late. ‘‘Hasn’t the horse bolted?’’ said Stuart O’Brien, from consulting firm Houston.
‘‘It’s going to be almost impossible to separate the two entities. He borrows from his paternity. Often you build from a brand by borrowing and he’s done that with his mother’s name.’’
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