Murray has thoughts about SA jockeys’ title

Riding sensation Callan Murray, having ridden three Grade 1 winners on Turffontein’s Champions Day alone, now has his sights set on going close in the jockeys’ championship.

“I want to ride as many winners as I can this season and finish very close to the top,” he says. “The later is a goal at the back of my mind but I am not going to let it drag me back. For the moment I just want to keep consistent.”

Two of those three Champions Day Grade 1s were for Mike de Kock as was Heavenly Blue’s SA Classic win and the association will be every bit as strong this term: “There is nothing on paper but every day I’m not racing I ride work there. They give me a lot of rides and, while I don’t ride some of the horses, they are very loyal to me.

“I am also riding for Tara Laing in Port Elizabeth. In addition Mr and Mrs Jooste, and Derek Brugman, are giving me a lot of support, and not just in P.E.”

Riding for Justin Snaith at the mid-week Cape Town meetings is something new. “Obviously there are going to be some meetings that clash but I want to race at Kenilworth as much as possible because it will be good experience for the big races there later on in the season.”

Murray’s workaholic schedule allows little time for hobbies. Fortunately he doesn’t have any! “I don’t do anything other than racing so I don’t need time on my hands.”

Murray, who celebrates his 21st birthday tomorrow, is tall for a jockey but wafer slim with light bones. “I ride comfortably at 54kg but I can do 52kg if I am given a good bit of notice.”

Champion apprentice two seasons ago, he broadened his education with a successful stint in Hong Kong last season and was suitably impressed by the jockeyship he came up against.

“Magic Moreira is obviously very good – he gets a lot of good rides but obviously you’ve got to perform on them and he does that very well.

“There are heaps of other good jockeys there too, though. It’s just that they are not under the same

spotlight and riding against them was great experience. What I learned was amazing.”

But this season the concentration will remain firmly on South Africa.

“Hong Kong might ask me to go there for a meeting or so but now is the time for me to learn more here, and I am going to stay put for a season or two. Only after that am I hoping to go back.” – Gold Circle