It was a dead-heat when it came to what made Max Presnell more happy: having a race named in his honour, or hanging with one of his favourite South Sydney Rabbitohs, Jai Arrow.
Presnell, the Herald’s legendary racing writer, and the equally loved Ken Callander were treated to the inaugural Callander-Presnell race on Saturday, which was won by hot favourite Golden Mile.
Max Presnell and South Sydney ace Jai Arrow before the running of the Callander-Presnell race at Randwick.
Callander underwent surgery recently and could not be trackside, but was represented by his son Richard and family.
Presnell liked Golden Mile all week, and was chuffed the favourite – and last-start Caulfield Guineas winner – landed the cash.
“The occasion has been enhanced by the performance of the horse, which looked sensational, credit to [trainer] James Cummings, and he was beautifully ridden by Hugh Bowman,” Presnell said.
An avid Souths fan, Presnell rubbed shoulders with back-rower Arrow before the race, and told The Mail: “You always get a buzz when you’re with a Rabbit, and a very good Rabbit, too.”
Hugh Bowman returns to scale on Golden Mile after winning the inaugural Callander-Presnell.Credit:Getty
From Spring Champion to Highway winner
Who can remember when Socrates was lining up in the Spring Champion Stakes at the corresponding meeting two years ago?
Socrates and birthday boy Dylan Gibbons won the TAB Highway fairly easily to make it three wins on the bounce.
Trainer James Ponsonby told The Mail: “It’s a long way down from his glory days, but it’s pleasing for everyone involved to see him pick up another win.”
Gibbons turned 21 and planned to knock back a few frothy ones, given he had Sunday off. A bigger blowout in Las Vegas is being planned for down the track. The apprentice liked the chances of Laroupe for Bjorn Baker at Hawkesbury on Tuesday.
Racing mourns White
Four-time Melbourne Cup-winning hoop Harry White has died. He was 78.
Harry White in 1993, after he had just won a 2000-metre race at Caulfield.Credit:Geoff Ampt, Fairfax Photos
White won the Cup on Think Big in 1974 and 1975, Arwon in 1978 and Hyperno the following year. His one Cox Plate success came in 1987 – 35 years ago – on Rubiton.
We can tell you Harry loved his cups of tea. He also had a habit of falling asleep between races.
“He even had to be woken up in the jockeys’ room before he won the Cup on Think Big one year,” Anthony Cummings, the son of the late and legendary Bart Cummings, told The Mail.
Shinn digs
Blake Shinn gave brief thought to basing himself in Sydney again when he made the call to return to Australia after a three-year stint in Hong Kong.
But after COVID and being stranded from family for so long, he found it easier to head home to Melbourne.
It is a shame because Shinn remains one of the premier riders in the country, which was clear following his early Randwick double on Barber and Mahagoni.
He will miss Derby Day because of suspension but is back on Melbourne Cup day when he rides Vow And Declare, the Danny O’Brien stayer who won the race in 2019 and finished 18th in 2020.
The Everest comedown
Joe Pride intends to run Eduardo – who quickly overcame his disappointing last start in The Everest, despite being rated “one out of five” lame post-race by vets – Private Eye and Brutality in the Nature Strip Stakes next Saturday.
Joyful Fortune will next contest the Century Stakes on Oaks Day at Flemington, or more likely the World Horse Racing Grand Handicap (1100m) on the final day of the carnival.
And Masked Crusader, arguably an Everest flop, is “50-50” to run in the Nature Strip Stakes, according to trainer Michael Hawkes.
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