Max Johnson

Aquanita · July 2015

Another one of the old brigade has passed on.

Drove some very good horses for his father Bill in the 50s and 60s and was inducted into the RWWA Hall Of Fame.

I am sure JayJay can give us a rundown on his career.

JayJay · July 2015

Cheers for posting that Aquanita, I wasn't aware of Max' passing. Dear Max, one of the most unflappable and least complicated blokes you could ever meet. I've got lots of Max stories as I used to have tea with him in the Northam Trotting Club Dining Room at every meeting back in the 70's when I was on the Committee. Max had shifted to the farm by then (Mount Kokeby just outside of York) and it was a privilege to talk with him and Vera over a meal. A lovely bloke with a glint in his eye and a sense of humour as dry the Gibson Desert. I think he and Phil Coulson were born in the same year and if you had a horse that could run along in front, then Max was your man....no one could rate them better. No one....and a great horseman he was. Some stories can't be told but this one can and it sums up Max to a tee. Who else would not give a horse its first start until it was 12 years old ("he needs time this one"), who else would name it "Don't Rush Me" and who else would drive it to win a race with at Gloucester Park (2008) when it was 13 and he was 78, 58 years after piloting his first winner at that venue. And who else would get shirty when they banned it from racing because it turned 14 "when he was just hitting his straps". And who else would join his Dad in the WA Hall of Fame or empty the Bookies Bags (literally) in the 1959 Gawler Cup with Kiwi Dillon when on the way home from the Inters in Melbourne (" we needed some petrol money"). Time may stretch the tales a bit but Max was an ace driver, not only for his Dad Pop Johnson with the likes of the great Kiwi Dillon..a horse that qualified for 4 Interdominion Finals all over Australia from 1958 through to 1963, winning heats and Consolations but unfortunately, never the main event to go with his multiple fast class wins in Easter Cups, a couple of Memorial Day Stakes and the like. Add on Sultana, Kodak, Sylvia Mint (Fremantle Cup), Royal Shadow (Pacing Cup) and a host of other stars and you get the picture. The Hamilton Hill Stables of Pop Johnson were the dominant yard of the 50's and I think Max won his first Driver's Premiership when he was just 20 years of age. After Pop wound down, Max continued on with the likes of Miss Dundee, a great mare who won Easter Cups, Empress Stakes and was placed in every major race on the calendar, Scottish Parade, Concorde Crossing whom he drove for Carmel Sheehy and of course, who else but Max could apply his brilliant horsemanship to settling the extremely cantankerous and erratic Satinover? Without wishing to offend anyone, one last story with a horse called Meadow Sprite and some very impatient owners who thought they had a champion. And Meadow Sprite could run, believe me, he could run...a bit of a mental case but highly talented. But he was unruly from the stand and the owners...excitable Mediteranean types...failed to comprehend and one night at Northam, they were busily telling me that "Maxa Johnason, he no good, he keepa pulling him up, the horse, he a champ, best ever" etc etc. They didn't know I knew Max well but I just said nothing and wandered off to watch the race. True to form, Meadow Sprite galloped away hopelessly losing about 150 yards. He gradually caught the field, tacked on at the back and then promptly circled the entire field and stormed home to win with Max sitting as quiet as a church mouse. It was an unbelievable run, one of the best I ever witnessed albeit in a 2.25 front (C3 race). Well, after the race, more back slapping than post grand final victories and "That Maxa Johnson, you know, heez a bloody champion fella". Max knew what was going on, undid the reins and turned and said "And he would have won by more if I hadn't pulled him up". He didn't stay with Max much longer after that...Max ran out of patience, not with the horse but with the owners.
Not many of the old legends left nowadays...which for a hopeless old sentimentalist like me is a very sad reality. But I do fell very very fortunate to have lived and absorbed all that happened when trotting was at it's peak. They were great days.

primemover · July 2015

Many a Galloper that had leg problems went on to win more races after getting looked after By Pop Johnson, he was a Marvel at getting horses to stand up after Tendon Injuries.Etc,Etc.

VillageKid · July 2015

Well said JJ.

R.I.P Max

JayJay · July 2015

Just to add a little more, Max was great mates with Richmond Raceway track curator Norm Crossman who lived on site and had a stable adjacent to the back straight. Norm bred and trained a lovely looking horse by Ray Sweetman's great fast class warrior Tiara Court and Yerilla Court, with Max at the reins, would have to rank amongst one of the unluckiest really good horses of the 70's. He collected over $150,000 in stakes (in the 70's, this was a very sizeable earn). 2nd to Deep Decor (Howard Cleggett) in the 1974 2yo Champagne Classic, 2nd to Captain Armbro (Sparksy Treasure in the '74 Golden Slipper, 2nd to Pure Steel (FRK) in the '75 Derby, 3rd to Pure Steel in the '75 Christmas Gift, 2nd to Aboukir (Bill Godecke) in the '76 Brennan Cup, 3rd to Royal Force in the "77 Fremantle Cup etc. Yerilla Court, Norm and Max had a great association together and with a bit of luck, he could have been ranked a lot higher in stake money. Max drove 546 city winners, won the drivers premiership 4 times, was runner up 5 times and finished third on a couple of occasions as well.

G'day Punter!

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