A new racing show on radio will commence on 12 January on Radio Station 2SM. "Racing to the Max" will be hosted by Max Presnell the well known racing journalist and commentator and will run for 1 hour between 7.00 and 8.00 am. Max will be joined by Mark Shean a noted form analyst and punter. Randwick clocker Craig Tompson will also provide advice. The show will be produced by Glenn Robbins former journalist and founder of Bet Busters and Racenet.com.au and will adopt a no-nonsense approach. Racing to the Max will also have a "Controversy Corner" segment where listeners can have their say by submitting topics on Racenet’s website – www.racenet.com.au.

When Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence-Joie Denise) saluted in the Tommy Smith Slipper (a listed race) at Doomben on 29 December, she gave her sire Sunday Silence his first Australian winner. Sunday Joy is the third foal of the Group 1 winner Joie Denise a daughter of champion mare Denise’s Joy. Joie Denise was one of nine mares sent to Japan in 1998 by Arrowfield Stud to be served by Sunday Silence. Sunday Joy was purchased at the 2001 Magic Million Sale for $1,000,000.00. Sunday Silence stands at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan where he has been Champion sire from 1995-2000.

The Group 3 winner Armidale sired his first winner when Armadancer saluted in a two-year-old handicap at Canberra recently. Armidale, a son of Rory’s Jester, was the winner of 5 races including the STC Concorde Stakes (G3) and VRC Chivas Regal (G3). His dam Love Bird is the sister to Double Century and Century Love. Armidale stands at Kevin Pendergast’s Riverdene Stud at Wagga Wagga at the very reasonable fee of $4,000.

King Ivor has also sired his first winner when Fairy Queen won a two-year-old race at the Sunshine Coast. The regally bred King Ivor (Fairy King(USA)-Royalivor) was a Group 2 winner having saluted in the VATC Sandown Guineas (G2) and the STC Premiere Stakes (G2). He is a half-brother to triple Grade 3 winner Snake Eyes. King Ivor stands at Royston Stud in Queensland for $4,400.

Sound the Alarm (Just Awesome-Double Creole) a four-year-old gelding purchased for just $3,750 as a weanling at the 1998 Magic Millions Winter Sale, is the latest Group One winner in New Zealand. Sound the Alarm was successful in the Lion Red Railway Stakes (G1) at Ellerslie recently. Sound the Alarm is from the first crop of the ill-fated Just Awesome who served only two seasons. From 85 named foals, Just Awesome has recorded 45 winners including the stakes winning brother and sister Chenar and Hello Pamela (ex Bionic Flash) as well as Sound the Alarm.

Vale to former Hawkesbury Valley stud owners – Aub Walsh and Arthur Thorn

Aub Walsh and Arthur Thorn both died within a few days of each other in late December. At different times they both owned horse studs on the one property located on part of the flood plain between Richmond and the Hawkesbury River.

Thorn, the horse lover and racing analyst who transformed the magazine Sports Novels into the racing and breeding industry magazine Racetrack and who was involved in a much sought ratings service with the late Cliff Carey, established the Kentucky Stud on the Richmond property in the late fifties. Kentucky Stud made headlines when a huge flood swept through the property in 1961 and some of the horses ended up in the river.

Arthur Thorn’s pride and joy at the stud was the giant stallion My Own, a full brother to champion Australian sire Better Boy. One of My Own’s products bred by the stud and sold for only $500 was Coolalinga, the winner of the 1974 VRC Newmarket Handicap.

When the Thorns transferred the Kentucky Stud to Grafton, they sold the Richmond property to leading NSW poultry producer Aub Walsh of Castle Hill. Mr Walsh, who renamed the stud Killarney, had become an enthusiastic horse breeders after acquiring several mares in New Zealand. He put one of these mares, Pin, to Battle Wagon and bred Manawapoi, winner of 13 races, including Brisbane’s Stradbroke Handicap, and runnerup in three Group One races in Sydney including the 1977 Doncaster Handicap.

Two of the early sires acquired by Walsh were Recalled, the Crepello horse which finished second to Nijinsky in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes in England at two, and the non stakes winner Koryo. A son of the world famous Ribot, Koryo was the Killarney Stud’s best sire with his progeny including the Walsh bred Manuan, winner of 16 races including the AJC The Galaxy.

(Walsh/Thorn story courtesy of Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service)