Callan hoping for more G1 wins in SA

Jack Milner

Punters studying the form for this weekend’s race meetings at Turffontein on Saturday and Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday will have noticed the name of Callan Murray among the jockeys riding.

Murray, who has been living and riding in Australia for the past three-and-a-half years, has opted to come back to South Africa for a while, and the length of his stay will depend on how things pan out.

“I decided I was going to come back for the Durban season,” Murray said yesterday. “It’s a quiet time in Adelaide and I will not be breaking any relationships. So I spoke to Matt (de Kock) to see if there would be any opportunities for me.

“If the momentum starts to build and I get going, I’m not against extending my stay.

“I’m just going to just play it by ear for the next couple of months.”

Murray rode for the De Kock stable before leaving for Australia and while Down Under his relationship with Mathew de Kock, who was training in Melbourne, got even stronger.

“I used to visit him and even spent Christmases at his home and that proved really lucky for me because I met my lovely fiancé, Danielle, there.

“She worked for their yard, but I got her away from them and now she’s with me in Adelaide.”

Danielle is still in Australia but she will be joining him at some point. “Logistically it would be difficult for her to come now. We have a dog, and she has a life there so she needs some time to get organised, but Danny will join me at the end of June.”

Murray arrived in South Africa on Wednesday afternoon and wasted no time getting to ride some work yesterday morning.

“I’m thrilled to be back as part of the De Kock team. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I always had a good relationship with them and Matt gave me a lot of encouragement. As strong as the De Kock yard is, and I will ride as many as I can for them, I am simply a freelance rider, so I will be doing work across the board.”

Murray had a lot of success with the De Kock stable and without question, the highlight came on Champions Day at Turffontein in 2017 when he rode three Grade 1 winners – the SA Nursery aboard Mustaqeem, the Computaform Sprint with Rafeef, and the Premier’s Champions Challenge on Deo Juvente – the first two for De Kock and the third for Geoff Woodruff.

“I had success fairly quickly as a youngster, and I didn’t realise how hard Group 1 wins are to come by. I would like to get a couple of them while I am here but it’s not an easy feat.

“When I look at those races it makes me feel old because many of those horses are now at stud and on Saturday, I’ll be riding some of their progeny.

“But I was amused when I heard the grooms using all those Zulu expressions and it all started coming back to me.”

There are a few differences, however. Murray’s riding weight used to be 51kg but is now 56kg, and that could affect his chances of getting a De Kock runner in the Hollywoodbets Durban July. “Immediate Edge is a possibility and if I get a decent ride I would be quite happy to get my weight down to 53kg for a horse like him. One has to make the sacrifices.

“At this stage he is not in the top 20 but it will be interesting to see where he goes and how he performs.

“I think he would be suited to a race like the Durban July.”

Murray admits he will be going into this weekend’s racing blind, but he adds: “It would be a

thrill to get a couple of winners on the boards though.”