Six months in Hong Kong and an hour in Johannesburg. That’s how long it took him to ride two winners in two different worlds and a living indictment of the rollercoaster life in the saddle experienced by 22 year old Callan Murray, who made a triumphant return to his old stomping ground of Turffontein on Saturday with a double for Mike de Kock.
Happy moment – Callan Murray receives his trophy for the G3 Sha Tin Vase (photo: HKJC)
For his relative youth, Murray has had enough character building to last a lifetime!
He rode four winners in six weeks with David Hayes in Melbourne in 2017 and rode two Gr3 winners in Hong Kong in the 2016/2017 season.
He returned to Hong Kong in August last year but moved to Singapore in February 2019 after riding just two winners and battling his way on 100-1 shots week in and week out at Happy Valley and Sha Tin.
Murray cut his Singapore contract short earlier this month after clocking up just five winners and twenty-two placings from 160 odd rides.
Callan Murray (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
On Saturday, back on African soil, he booted home the Vercingetorix debutante Tallinn on his first ride back. The Maine Chance Farms-bred R225 000 Cape Premier Yearling Sale purchase beat a mixed field to win well.
The De Kock-Murray combination were at it again in the next race when Port Key won to shed her maiden at her second start.
Murray’s third ride Sammi Moosa ran unplaced.
So a great start for the young man who will be now looking to stabilize his career.
