experts cast doubts on mare's fitness to race Busy week: Gai Waterhouse with connections at Rosehill on Saturday. Leading trainers and veterinarians believe More Joyous should have been scratched from the All Aged Stakes if reports she couldn't pick grass in the week leading up to her controversial failure last month are correct. The stoush between John Singleton, Gai Waterhouse and her family has been the centre of attention for more than fortnight and a neck issue related to More Joyous remains central to the Racing NSW stewards inquiry. Last Monday, stewards established that the neck issue was first discovered on the Wednesday before the race. The claims that More Joyous had not picked grass during the week should have triggered alarm bells, according to vets and trainers, who spoke to Fairfax Media on the condition of anonymity. "If a horse is not picking grass, it is a clear indication that the neck is sore because it has to stretch out its neck to pick," one vet said. It is a sensitive area and plays an important role in balance when a horse is running and any problem to the neck can affect performance. Trainers contacted by Fairfax Media were unanimous on what they would have done with a horse with soreness in the neck, which affected them picking. "There is no way you would [run]," one said. It is too much of a risk. Problems like that do happen, but you need to be in constant communication with the owners and let them know what is going on, so they can make an informed decision. They can run well and surprise you but generally it is one of many things that can set you back and make you not run them in a race. While the Singleton team was informed about the problem with More Joyous the day before the All Aged Stakes, it might not have been soon enough. "Just keep everyone in the loop and it makes things easier because they [owners] go in with their eyes wide open," a leading trainer said. Although Singleton's vet John Peatfield and racing manager Duncan Grimley inspected More Joyous on race morning they had only become aware of a problem on Friday. "It was worth some consideration [the neck] but as a result of my examination I didn't find a reason not to run the mare," Peatfield told the inquiry. The second part of who knew what and when will be played out when the inquiry resumes on Monday. Andrew Johns' evidence about his conversation with Tom Waterhouse on Anzac Day is the starting point of the so-called Chinese whispers that led to Singleton's outburst on television and in front of stewards. Johns was revealed by Fairfax Media the day after the All Aged Stakes as the man who had spoken to Tom Waterhouse and relayed the message that More Joyous "couldn't win" to Singleton along with others. It will be interesting to see if he uses the three-letter word that riled the Waterhouse camp in last week's inquiry. "It was O-F-F - off," Singleton said at one point, getting under Tom Waterhouse's skin. Singleton noted at the inquiry that Johns had repeated the term "off" on the Sunday Footy Show as he attempted to explain his part in the blow-up. Singleton said it was one of the ex-footballer's sayings when it came to racing and noted that "someone at Channel Nine had been improving his vocabulary" when he used "embellished" in subsequent statements. Johns will be joined by former jockey Allan Robinson and brothel owner Eddie Hayson at the hearing on Monday after the trio refused to attend the inquiry last week. During evidence, stewards revealed a web of phone calls between Johns, Robinson, Hayson and Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, who gave evidence to the inquiry last Monday, through the afternoon, particularly just before and following the race. Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy said the inquiry should wind up on Monday. "We have said all along we didn't want this matter to be long and drawn out," Murrihy said. Once we can hear the evidence of the three witnesses on Monday, we should be able to adjourn.