One more less than Joyous day fronting the stewards puts sad and sorry saga to bed

I WILL be glad when the More Joyous inquiry is wound up, Gai gets back to being Gai and Singo gets back to running pubs.

I WILL be glad when today's inquiry is wound up, More Joyous is allowed to pick grass in peace, Gai gets back to being Gai and Singo gets back to running his pubs.

I doubt the Mel Schumacher leg pull, the Big Philou doping scandal or the Fine Cotton ring-in inquiry created such intense scrutiny, occupied more newspaper centimetres or television minutes than this current saga.

The most absurd statement I have heard made on the whole thing is that it should have been kept in house and heard behind closed doors.

Once John Singleton made his complaints to a national television audience and not to stewards, the affair was in the public domain.

To have then try to keep it quiet would have only created a bigger storm and more headlines than we have had already and I congratulate Ray Murrihy, the chief steward, for being so up front and Peter V'landys, the boss of Racing NSW, for backing him up.

Now let's get it over with.

**

JONATHAN Riddell will get chewed up by the top Aussie jockeys if he rides many more like he handled the hot pot Survived in Saturday's Rough Habit Plate at Eagle Farm.

It looked like the Kiwi had a snooze coming to the home turn when he allowed himself to get caught between horses as Hawkspur shot away with a winning break. It was a two out of 10 effort and not what you want to see on an even money favourite.

The stipes quickly carpeted Riddell, but accepted his explanation after the hoop admitted his error.

Survived will next run in the Queensland Derby on Saturday week and he will again be a hot favourite.

**

ANTHONY Cummings, son of Bart, was not given as sweet a ride to the top of the training tree as David Hayes, son of Colin, and Gai Waterhouse, daughter of T.J., but don't doubt his ability as he has plenty of it.

Anthony reminds me a little of T.J. Smith in how he is never frightened to throw inexperienced horses in against the best and occasionally, like with Your Song in the BTC Cup on Saturday, it comes off.

No doubt the wet track, which he handled like a duck, exaggerated Your Song's win, but this bloke won't prove a one-win wonder.

He caught the pundits off guard by finding elite form so quickly, but he is top grade and that is where he will be competing from now on.

Once upon a time Gai Waterhouse trained almost all of the Gooree Stud horses, but now they are spread through a few Randwick stables and, judging by Your Song's form, Anthony Cummings will be legging up jockeys in the red and black silks more often.

**

BRENTON Avdulla, on Oompa Loompa and Disciple, Blake Shinn on Drago and Nathan Berry on Hidden Warrior kept punters (and owners) aware of their ability with some tip- top rides at Rosehill.

It is great competition and is making sure Rawiller, Bowman, Brown and Cassidy don't take things too easy.

**

I WAS looking around at the television sets that punters are forced to watch the races and race replays on at Canterbury on Wednesday.

Any self-respecting pub would have thrown similar models out 20 years ago and if you left them on the footpath in front of your home nobody would take them.

Would somebody point out to the ATC you can buy a good TV for a couple of hundred bucks and I reckon if you let Gerry Harvey put some advertising on them you would get them a lot cheaper.

If you let corporate bookies advertise on them you would get them for free.

Every Canterbury meeting I go to (and I go to them all) I think the ATC is trying to discourage punters from coming.