Comment: Racing's personality clash an odds-on win

TOM Waterhouse is now becoming so high profile there are even photos of him in vacant buildings.

TOM Waterhouse is now becoming so high profile there are even photos of him in vacant buildings.

The window of an unoccupied warehouse in Sydney's inner-west contains an enlarged photo of Waterhouse appearing on Channel 9 holding a microphone.

Above him is his signature slogan: "I know what punters want."

But below him, in even bigger letters, is printed the poisonous punchline "they want me to f--- off."

It's nasty stuff but it's also an insight into the amount of hostile emotions swirling round the choirboy-faced whizkid of Australian bookmaking as he battles bushfires on several fronts.

The ongoing one is his high-profile involvement spouting odds during sports broadcasts which his detractors claim are introducing innocent young minds to the world of sports gambling.

But the raging inferno is Monday's stewards hearing where John Singleton and Gai Waterhouse will address claims that Tom told friends that More Joyous - trained by his mother Gai and owned by Singleton - would struggle in the All Aged Stakes, which it duly did.

Tom looked tired and strained when he appeared on television on Sunday but has strongly rejected Singleton's claims.

His entry to the high profile world of sport gambling has been carefully choreographed and, while he has had to defend himself against the occasional potshot, there have been no volcanic blasts like this.

By contrast, Singleton - a six-times married former rodeo rider, advertising guru and corporate knockabout - has been through more tumble dryers than a pair of old Bonds 007 underpants. He may go down but it won't be quickly, quietly or quaintly.

Singleton's old mates such as Tommy Raudonikis have rallied around the warhorse who has a fondness for a scrap.

Raudonikis was with Singleton in Sydney at a guest speaking lunch on Friday and knows the old dog is three things - tough, loyal and a bad man to cross.

"Singo's very loyal," Raudonikis said.

"I don't really know what is happening but what I do know is that you usually get three strikes with him and I get the impression that the Cox Plate drama (when Waterhouse mysteriously drew barrier 11 for their horse) was strike two.

"I am right behind him 100 per cent. We are great mates."

Singleton will be asked to name who told him More Joyous could not win but even if he doesn't there are three concrete facts that should save him from humiliation in the eyes of the public, if not the stewards.

They are (a) More Joyous was treated by a vet for an ailment two days before she raced, (b) trainer Gai Waterhouse failed to tell the owner that was the case even though he was preparing to have a $100,000 bet on her and (c) she raced poorly.

And the credibility of Singleton's claim that the horse was not in pristine shape was enhanced to a degree because he expressed his concerns before the race, a rare move in racing.

Racing stalwarts have said the scandal is bad for racing - don't you believe it.

With Black Caviar retired the sport was expected to retreat to its customary position in the back of the paper until Melbourne Cup time.

But here it is, bursting back on to front pages with an epic personality clash.