Callan Murray is moving to Cape Town as contracted rider for Phillipi-based trainer Brett Crawford.
The lanky 24-year-old, who is unusually tall for a jockey, has already won nine Grade 1 races and was Champion Apprentice in the 2015/16 season.
A notable highlight was landing three Grade 1s on Champions Day in 2017 when he steered Mustaqueem (SA Nursery), Rafeef (Computaform Sprint) and Deo Juvente (Premiers Champions Challenge) to victory.
He has also gained priceless insights overseas when plying his trade in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia – seriously tough riding colonies in which to make an impact.
Crawford, who is an astute judge, not only of horseflesh but also race-riding potential, describes how the transfer came about. “I noticed that Callan was underutilised in Johannesburg, sometimes only getting a couple of rides at a meeting and his confidence was taking a knock.
“But he already has a good record for a young jockey with multiple Grade 1 victories and plenty of experience around the world. So, I approached him two weeks ago with an offer to ride for Crawford Racing and within a couple of days he’d made his decision to join our team.”
Well mannered and hard working, Murray gets a chance to cement his credentials in SA after a trying season where he’s battled to get fully under way despite his industriousness. He has managed 33 victories so far at a modest 10% strike rate – stats he will be looking to boost through his new alliance with Crawford, who gets his horses super fit and places them cannily in races where they figure to be competitive.
Anton Marcus and Greg Cheyne remain an integral part of Crawford’s set up through their allegiance to the Ridgemont operation of the Kieswetter family.
As one of the upper tier trainers in Cape Town, adding Murray to Crawford’s range of riding options could prove a master stroke. Crawford has a young crop of horses with their careers lying ahead of them and he’s determined to grow his stable.
Murray, a particularly well-balanced rider, is now on board as of Monday, and fully motivated to make a splash. “This is such an exciting opportunity. I’m happy to be in Cape Town and have already found a place to stay in Claremont, close to my new work at Phillipi training tracks. I’m also eager to learn…”
Away from racing, Murray is a keen golfer, playing off a handicap of 13. One of Crawford’s long- standing patrons is former rugby star Lance Sherrell, nowadays an accomplished golfer.
He has kindly offered to introduce Murray to prestigious Golf Clubs in Cape Town, such as the magnificent Steenberg Estate, surrounded by Constantia’s historic vineyards. But he joked: “He’ll have to ride a few winners for me first before I comp him a game.”