John had a skinful and heard his horse had a health issue - the bust up with Gai was explosive

On April 27, 2013, Randwick hosted the All-Aged Stakes Day, which was marked by a series of extraordinary events that could have been the subject of a captivating cinematic production. The subsequent weeks were highly eventful, revealing a diverse ensemble of intriguing individuals in an equally captivating manner. The cast were obviously, the horse; More Joyous, the famous Sydney trainer; Gai Waterhouse, the owner; multi millionaire John Singleton, the trainer's son and bookie; Tom Waterhouse, country jockey; Allan Robinson, NRL star; Andrew Johns, and pro punter and brothel owner; Eddie Hayson. It soon transpired into a full blown soap opera that aroused curiosity across Australia. With the cast of characters aquainted, the narrative unfolded as such.

John Singleton's high quality mare, More Joyous was set to run in, and potentially win another Group One Sydney event. The mare had been a superstar of Sydney racing for the past two seasons, winning feature black type races and millions in prize money. Singleton alleged bookie Tom Waterhouse had been informed of More Joyous' fitness status by his mother, Gai, and understood that the horse was not in optimal condition in the lead-up to the All-Aged Stakes to be run at Randwick. This made its way back to Singleton via an outsider, and ‘Singo’ wasn't happy. His displeasure grew when his prized mare, despite being a close favourite with odds of $3.00, managed to pass only one competitor in the race. Notably, More Joyous, initially offered at odds of $2.50 experienced a decline in betting interest and ultimately finished in seventh place, approximately four lengths behind the victor, All Too Hard.

The proverbial hit the fan during a stewards' inquiry after the race in regards to the horse's performance - Singo had sunk more then a few drinks by Race 7, abused Robbie Waterhouse, threw Tom and Gai under the bus - and then declared he was taking all his horses out of the Waterhouse stable - which he in fact did. Singleton, who has enjoyed front and back-page coverage over the years celebrating Group one winners with Waterhouse, (including the Golden Slipper with Ha Ha, and Oaks winner Tuesday Joy) made it perfectly clear More Joyous would be shifted from the trainer's Randwick stables first thing in the morning. It turned into a full blown public stoush and everyone was that fly on the wall. An investigation into the explosive pre and post race antics, revealed punters across Australia, oblivious to the super mare's pre-race health issues lost a staggering $4 million on the horse. Some of the bets were placed as early as the Wednesday, while the horse was already being secretly treated at the stables. Betting records reveal $2.5 million was invested on win and place bets, and $1.5 million on exotics, including trifectas, quinellas and quaddies.

The More Joyous saga then took a further twist when Waterhouse informed stewards that the wonder mare had pulled up with heat in her neck early on Thursday morning prior to the race, and her blood readings weren't 100 percent. Vets had also detected all was not right with her blood readings, but she had no temperature. Gai was charged by stewards for failing to report the pre-race problem with More Joyous and Singo was fined for his antics - some would say class ‘A’ racing entertainment. Gai Waterhouse and her senior staff went on a stable witch hunt, where it was revealed Brothel owner, Eddie Hayson had inside information, while the horse's owner John Singleton had been kept in the dark. She has previously dismissed an employee - Pat Sexton, who trains in Queensland for leaking qualified information.

Gai Waterhouse labelled John Singleton a "sham" and a "disgrace" during a barb-filled exchange at the More Joyous stewards inquiry held in Sydney. The hall of fame trainer said Singleton had ended a 15-year association based on "Chinese whispers" from a trumped up little jockey, a brothel owner and a football player. Singleton said former jockey Robinson had called him before the All-Aged Stakes and said he had heard from a 'mutual friend' that More Joyous was off. When he pressed Robinson for who that friend was, he said "a mutual friend of ours I can't tell you, but a rugby league immortal". There is only 8 of them and not all are living, so the suspect was obvious. It was a reference to Andrew Johns, who has admitted talking to Tom Waterhouse before the All Aged but not about the health of More Joyous. A riled up Singleton confronted Gai Waterhouse in the mounting yard before the All Aged, which is where it all blew up.

He was heard to say, “We've got a problem here Gai."

The trainer accused Singleton of being drunk when he confronted her and believed he has a reputation for drinking and using foul language. Tom Waterhouse challenged Singleton to say whether he had anything to drink or taken medication on the day of the public confrontation. Singleton was questioned about what Johns told him about More Joyous, saying Andrew Johns admitted he may have embellished some of the information he had received from Tom Waterhouse.

On the Monday after the race, Johns visited Singleton at his farm. Singleton said Johns was worried he would lose his job as a commentator at Channel 9 over the incident, thinking he would be "collateral damage" because the network could not have both he and Tom Waterhouse in their employment. Tom Waterhouse told the inquiry that Johns rang him after the blow up and said: "I think I caused this between your mum and Singo." He said Johns told him he was just "having some banter" with friends on a Friday night when he discussed odds for the next day's races. The previous afternoon, on Anzac Day, Tom Waterhouse told rugby league immortal Andrew Johns that More Joyous was one of three horses he didn't fancy on the final day of the Randwick carnival. Brothel owner Eddie Hayson stated at the enquiry that Johns never discussed the health of racehorse More Joyous with him when the pair spoke at the footy. But by race-time, he had heard worrying reports about More Joyous from two other sources, and had relayed his doubts to former jockey Allan Robinson. Eddie Hayson was warned he could receive a ban in the future, but in 2024 he was arrested by NSW police over the alleged importation of 16kg of methamphetamine and 5kg of MDMA.

The inquiry heard Singleton received a call from his racing manager, Duncan Grimley, on race morning who told him to come and "enjoy the day" but not to bet on his horse. "It's one thing to let the horse run for the prize money, but it's another to have a wager," Grimley told the inquiry. Singleton had said he wanted to place $100,000 on More Joyous to win the All Aged Stakes. Earlier, in the inquiry, the horses' vet, John Peatfield, said he examined More Joyous on race morning with Waterhouse and Grimley. Peatfield said despite the mare's reluctance to eat off the ground, "I couldn't find a reason to not run the horse". He said he told Waterhouse and Grimley that "I can't guarantee she'll win because that's not my job". The trainer's vet, Leanne Begg said in the days before the race she had treated More Joyous with a routine anti-inflammatory and took the horse's temperature and blood samples. The hall of fame trainer was fined a total of $5,500 by Racing NSW stewards on charges flowing from the poor performance of More Joyous in the All Aged Stakes. Waterhouse was found guilty of not telling stewards about the horse's condition and failing to keep records of the treatment. Singleton was fined $15,000 for making comments detrimental to racing.

But since then Singo has swallowed his pride and again teamed up with Gai. Waterhouse and Singleton have endured tough times previously, including a blow-up over the Cox Plate barrier draw when the trainer deliberately chose the outside gate. The spat between Australia's most recognisable trainer, Gai Waterhouse, and racing's larrikin owner John Singleton officially ended, with the pair publicly reconciling at the Magic Millions sales on the Gold Coast in 2015. Singleton famously sold his Strawberry Hill Stud breeding empire to Coolmore for $30m and his breeding stock for more than $15m, saying he "feels sorry for those old blokes at the races looking grumpy." He put himself back in the fold with the purchase of an $800,000 Wootton Bassett filly on the Gold Coast in 2024, and will send the horse to the Waterhouse stables.

The first horse they had together was called Kiss And Make Up. How ironic.