Episode 475: Max Presnell

I’m delighted to introduce a man I’ve known for six decades. Max Presnell had just returned from England to regenerate his career with Fairfax newspapers, as I kicked off with Sydney station 2GB. Max recently called time on an association with Fairfax which embraced a total of 67 years- perhaps a world record in the newspaper game. I don’t know how we can cover 67 years in an hour or so, but let’s give it a crack. Max explains the reasons for his recent departure from the Sydney Morning Herald. He talks about the evolvement of his popular 2017 autobiography “Good Losers Die Broke”- a rollicking review of his life in racing. Max, son of a publican talks about the unusual  experience of spending his early years in a famous Sydney Hotel. He tells a funny story about a lady who happened to be the sister of Stanley Wootton, owner of the hotel in question. Max talks of many well known visiting trainers who stayed at the pub when in Sydney. I’ll let Max tell you about a chirpy little regular who earned the dubious nickname of “two bob Tommy”. The legendary writer talks of his father Roy who ran the pub for 25 years. Max talks of the white cockatoo Roy brought back from a duck shooting excursion. That cocky became a legend in his own right. He talks of his feelings whenever he walks into the Doncaster Hotel today. Max takes us back to his employment as a copy boy with the old Sydney Sun. He remembers his cadetship and the thrill of becoming a graded journalist in 1961. He talks of his lifelong penchant for a punt and recalls a massive win on the Doncaster-Sydney Cup double in 1961. Max was on steward’s room duties the day Mel Schumacher was outed for life after the infamous “leg pull incident in the AJC Derby. His memories of the steward’s inquiry remain vivid.   He looks back on a sabbatical from the Sun and a long sea voyage to England where he freelanced for three years. Things got so bad at one stage that he had to “hock” his binoculars. The veteran racing scribe talks of several freelance jobs he was able to secure in England. He reminisces about a proposed plunge on a horse in the Ascot Gold Cup. The horse in question was a noted mudlark. Max was delighted when rain continued to fall but was in for a rude shock. For the first time in twenty five years, the Gold Cup meeting was called off. You won’t believe what happened to his punting bank. Max looks back on his return to Sydney in 1964 and the start of phase two of his amazing association with Fairfax. He talks of his admiration for the works of Banjo Paterson. Max remembers his very successful  transition into radio and television. A disagreement with Channel 7 Sports Director Rex Mossop saw him stand down from the popular “Punter’s Post Mortem” programme. Some time later he returned to Channel 7 in a different format. He pays tribute to some of the great journalists with whom he got to work over a long period of years. Max acknowledges some of the great horse trainers of his era with special mention of Jack Denham. He fondly remembers the days when many racecourse figures carried curious nicknames. Max was unable to recall the name of his new website, but hopes his old fans will visit from time to time. It’s my great pleasure to pay tribute to a true giant of racing journalism.