Ray Murrihy loved the spring rolls
Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy had some fun while chairing the Zheijang Nine Dragons Hill National Jockey Invitation race meeting last weekend in China.
The GGs are rarely held on the mainland.
Murrihy told Stablemart.com on Sunday there was no betting nor were members of the public allowed.
The meeting was due to start at 2.20pm, but commenced at 3.20pm as the club waited for a high-ranking government official to make his speech.
Murrihy stopped bothering to weigh the jockeys by the end of the day.
The starter let them go in one race when a horse was still on a lead.
And on another occasion Murrihy asked a jockey where his proper colours were, only for him to point to a colleague was already on his way out to the gates.
While racing in China is still in its infancy, Murrihy said there was plenty of potential, and the turnover mind-boggling if the sport was ever given the green light by the communist government.
For the record, and without wanting to sound too cliched, Murrihy said the spring rolls were to die for.
GoPro gets the go-slow with Murrihy
Murrihy also said the use of GoPro cameras being strapped to jockeys’ helmets in trials and trackwork was now banned.
It was former F1 champion driver Michael Schumacher of all people who convinced Murrihy and Victorian counterpart Terry Bailey to dump the cool little cameras.
Yes. Schumacher.
Murrihy said a report out of Europe during the week had suggested a GoPro camera strapped to Schumacher’s helmet during his now-infamous skiing accident may have contributed to the brain injury he suffered.
Channel 7 often uses its helmet cam during the big carnival coverage, but opt for a slimline device — not GoPros — but even those will be reviewed by the Australian Racing Board.
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