Youngster Murray back from Hong Kong high jinks
Amid mounting evidence that sportspeople are peaking early in their careers, 20-year-old jockey Callan Murray will try to take a leaf out of the book of 23year-old British Open winner Jordan Spieth this week.
Murray, last season’s leading apprentice and a month away from his 21st birthday, arrives back in SA on Tuesday after a stint in Hong Kong.
The Kensington-born youngster — a motocross fanatic — quickly made an impact in Hong Kong winning the grade3 Sha Tin Vase at the end of May on
Lucky Year. That winner was appropriately named as the last 12 months have seen Murray ride his luck — not only competing against some of the best jockeys in the world in Hong Kong, but also spending four weeks in January with leading Australian trainer David Hayes.
Murray’s big objective this week is to win Sunday’s eLan Gold Cup on Mike de Kock’s well-bred stayer Kinaan.
The son of the world’s greatest stallion, Galileo, ran a great trial for the Greyville marathon in finishing third behind Hermoso Mundo in the Gold Vase on July day.
While Hermoso Mundo and Vase runner-up Captain Splendid are likely to be well backed to beat Kinaan at the weekend, bookmaker Lance Michael quotes the Mike de Kock inmate as the 3.75-1 favourite. Next in the betting is Hermoso Mundo at 4-1 followed by Captain Splendid and Durban-July fourth Krambambuli, who are on offer at 5-1 and 11-2.
De Kock’s son Mathew is pleased Murray is returning to SA. “I feel he needs to establish himself more here before making any permanent move overseas,” he said.
With the backing of one of the most powerful stables in the land, the future certainly looks bright for Murray.
This weekend’s two-day Greyville Festival will influence the Equus panel as they deliberate over their votes for August’s annual awards banquet. The Horse of the Year award is very much up for grabs with Marinaresco and Sun Met winner Whisky Baron in the running. The first-mentioned’s prospects will be boosted if he wins Saturday’s World Sports Betting Champions Cup.
Whisky Baron has played his part in making this the most successful to date for Cape trainer Brett Crawford, but the Aussie-bred star has been sent overseas and has thus missed half of the season.
Victory for Bela-Bela in the Champions Cup would put Justin Snaith’s popular filly very much in the mix for the Horse of the Year award. The grey trounced her opposition in the Jonnson Workwear Garden Province Stakes on July day.
Sean Tarry, assured of the trainers title, will be hoping his two July-day juvenile winners, Desert Rhythm and Purple Diamond, can boost their Equus awards chance with repeat successes at the weekend.
Tarry has a particularly strong hand in the Premier’s Champion Stakes with Purple Diamond and Captain And Master representing his powerful yard. S’manga Khumalo will partner Captain And Master — a length behind his stablemate last time out — with Piere Strydom booked to ride Purple Diamond for the first time.