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ACHIEVEMENT OR (RECORD) THINK WILL NEVER BE BROKEN.

Harness & Greyhounds
Max Johnson who drove his first winner in 1949 and his last winner in 2008...…..Can you believe it 59 year gap. imagine first winner at 18 last winner at   77 years of age.

Found old article feb.4th 1952. in his first three years of driving he won a trotting cup,easter cup,christmas hcp.richmond park cup,york cup, numerous free-for-alls with royal shadow.

The article also said, the run of success enjoyed by m.r.johnson and his father w.f.johnson continued last night when sir travis won the febuary handicap at Gloucester park.

This increased sir travis tally of wins for the season to nine.

In the 1949-50 season Max Johnson drove for only half the season and finished sixth on the winning reinsmen's list. with 13 wins,...... last season he was second with 20 wins to F.E.Kersley 36 wins perhaps the greatest reinsman to have driven in this state. …...    article said.

This season Max Johnson heads the list.

Roll on thirty years  later 1979 he drives satinover  to 19 wins straight...….He had fair bit of dry humour, about him,

One  night at bunbury horse float park it was blowing a gale  I witnessed max johnson going around shutting the float doors that people had left open
a trainer walking out with horse said thanks max, without missing a beat, dry as you like max said i should've come back tomorrow for the hinges

Knew a trainer that had a bad going horse, so max offered to help, and to shoe it for him  As told by the trainer;;;;; max said wheres the tentpegs, trainer scratched his head, it wasn't till he finished shoeing it, he said...... I didn't need them,   Trainer was confused, until max said his a bit light I thought he might blow away.... 

Checked he drove. 866wins;;;;;548 city  winners. M.R. Johnson.

Comments

  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Great fella Max...last winner was the appropriately named Don't Rush Me....he never started him until was 11 years old, sums up Max to a tee. Could not and would not be rushed into doing anything hastily. Back in the 70's, I had tea with him and Vera every race night in the Northam dining room, gee he was a warm spirited generous person, an absolute legend, happy as a clam whiling away the days out at Mt Kokeby, knew more about horses than most  have forgotten.(Did I get that right? Anyway, you get my drift, an absolute font of knowledge and wisdom, all of it willingly shared.)
  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts
    Did Maxy Johnson have red and blue colours - and the blue looked to be a faded blue - or maybe he was driving for a stable with those colours

    Its interesting with old time horseman - like Peter Manning ( Kerryns father ) who would be a decent age now - but i can remember him saying - when he started off in the game as a young bloke - that the old timers would tell you absolutely nothing re training and preparation of horses - it was all secretive etc

    savethegame likes this post.

  • VillageKidVillageKid    2,275 posts
    Incredible stats STG.
    There are not many sportsmen and women who can claim their very first win and then very last success to be the best part of 60 years apart in their chosen sport.

    savethegame likes this post.

  • ChariotsonfireChariotsonfire    2,829 posts
    Max was not happy when Dont Rush Me was forced into retirement under the age policy.  
  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Marko Jay Jay do think they where johnsons colours, and the pacing horse think that is royal shadow &max Johnson is lit up on grandstand at g.p. jay jay would know for sure.

    Another interesting fact W.F.Johnson Max's father was a gallipoli veteran won a Anzac cup with kiwi Dillon  wouldn't have been achieved by too many world war 1 veterans.

    VillageKid likes this post.

  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Pop Johnson's colour's of Red and a strong Royal Blue are the ones on display in that heritage pacing horse display flickering away on the Grandstand.
    In fact, old Pop won 3 "ANZAC Cups", more latterly renamed as the Memorial Day Stakes (copyright issues with use of the name ANZAC which is protected from general use)...1962 and 1963 with Kiwi Dillon and 1966 with Gallant Mark. In fact Kiwi Dillon contested 6 consecutive Interdominion Series in a row, winning heats, consolations and contesting Finals. Remarkable horse......Pop actually took horses to 7 consecutive Inters Series from Adelaide, 1958 through to Adelaide 1963
    Chariots, Max was indeed unhappy when Don't Rush Me was prematurely retired but not as unhappy as when he himself was prematurely retired under the age policy. The reversal of the ageist retire at 65 rule enabled him to make a "comeback" after being  "pensioned off to the farm" (his words). He did it to make a point as he had done little driving in the latter part of his career....prior to Don't Rush Me winning at GP on May 17,2008, his previous city winner had been Williams Pride at Richmond Raceway on December 13, 1985. I think Don't Rush Me won another race for Max about 3 months after breaking his maiden....and in fact ran 2nd at his last start before the end of August in 2010.

    VillageKid likes this post.

  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Memory serves me right he was driving governer Guinness a good horse for bill horn ,and Gordon cox, and was going to be village kids initial. driver either horn or cox one of them didn't agree, don't no wether that was public knowledge at the time.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Chris Lewis was the first driver approached to drive Village Kid, a couple of weeks prior to his first start in WA as a 4 year old.
  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts

    Memory serves me right he was driving governer Guinness a good horse for bill horn ,and Gordon cox, and was going to be village kids initial. driver either horn or cox one of them didn't agree, don't no wether that was public knowledge at the time.

    I can remember Governor Guiness - about the same time Bill Horn got Yankee Doodle Dandy - it was an ex FRK horse - and Bill Horn didnt improve it a yard

    Just out of interest - Gordon Cox - was he just an owner - or did ever as a younger bloke train and drive etc

    Back to Max Johnson - no hysterical - exciteable nonsense  with him - whenever i looked at the bloke - he allways reminded me of one of those Gunslingers in the 1950s Westerns - and i will let the guns do the talking

    savethegame likes this post.

  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Marko yankee doodle dandy brought  up kersleys  100th city winner one season .Max Johnson great judge of pace told by old timers, but remember  asking him about what made a good front runner driver the  bloke in the breeze if he likes you, was his jokingly reply... but did say he let the turns do the work for your horse even if the breeze horse put a neck on him the next turn he would square the ledger.... Great man to listen to as jay jay has said.
  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Especially the case when GP was shorter and around the old Fremantle track. Few drove Fremantle better than Max.
  • ChariotsonfireChariotsonfire    2,829 posts
    Gordon Cox was never a trainer/driver to me my knowledge.

    He was the owner of Burley/Sekem football and sports goods manufactures.

    Unlike Harry Capararo was not the most pleasant man in the world to deal with.
  • MarkovinaMarkovina    2,889 posts

    Gordon Cox was never a trainer/driver to me my knowledge.


    He was the owner of Burley/Sekem football and sports goods manufactures.

    Unlike Harry Capararo was not the most pleasant man in the world to deal with.
    I was going to say - but you can get shot down on this forum - so i didnt bother

    However having seen him on track - even after big wins - i was going to ask the question - did that bloke ever smile in his life

    savethegame likes this post.

  • JayJayJayJay    7,629 posts
    Harry was a terrific bloke, I'll leave it at that with no commentary on Mr Cox.
  • savethegamesavethegame    2,786 posts
    Marko those same colours  red and blue are used now by gary Johnson maybe all kyamba park ?horses, seen them on horse called im thor.
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