After only his fourth start, the two-year-old got the perfect ride in the course from Jim Curtin and sprinted in to win by a length and a quarter.
SARGENTE HENRY REPLAY
“I sent him to Christchurch for some experience. Jimmy looked after him and it worked well. He’s a great guy, Jimmy, and I was happy to ride him today,” Murray said.
Pash had his first ride as an eight-year-old on a horse called Be Good, trained by Hec Henderson in Ashburton.
“He was a good family friend and I got the bug.”
Pash has now won twenty races on the coast; eight in Westport, seven in Reefton and five in Greymouth.
“1972 was the first year I came to Westport and rode a horse for my father-in-law Noel Berkett. I always try to come here. I met a lot of people. This year I lost my real good friend Trevor Craddock. I think he looked down on me today.”
Pash rode his first winner in the Black Sea, at Invercargill in December 1968.
“I lived in Nightcaps. I had a trial license before I moved there. When I got there they took away the license and told me I had to get a share in a horse. I went from Nightcaps to Winton and helped Harry and Alister Cox. They offered me one of the three and I chose an old horse called Black Sea, who was six years old. He had three placings in his first three starts and went on to win two.”
Pash moved to Nelson in 1972.
“I’ve never had more than one or two horses. I was injured in an accident at work and I tripped over my shoulder and couldn’t get back to work, so I took on a single horse.”
Macraider was the best horse Pash had trained. He qualified and had two starts for Murray before being sold to Australia for $110,000.
He won nine races there and came second in the WA Derby before being exported to America where he won a further thirty-five races.
Other good horses he has trained are Jazelle (7), Arcano (9) and Eastburn Gee (6).
“Arcano was a bad knee-breaker, but won many races at Palmerston North. We don’t know how he did it.”
Sargent Henry is owned by Murray’s wife Cheryl, Colin Fitzwater, Andrew Fitzwater, Wayne Williams, Jason and Debbie Poynter, Quentin and Jo Harwood and Stuart and Gail Dolamore.
Cheryl is the daughter of Noel Berkett who trained 340 winners, including 1952 New Zealand Cup winner Mobile Globe.
Although he is in the twilight of his training career, Murray is still keen to share his knowledge with the next generation.
“There are a couple of young lads at Richmond Park, Steve and Tim Fensom, who I am happy to lend a hand to because they are the future of harness racing in Nelson. He added: “I said when I turned 80 I was going to give up training horses. But now that I have a two-year-old horse, it looks like I’ll have to keep going until I’m eighty-five. I think he’ll be fully grown by the time he’s four.”
For full race results, click here.
Through Bruce Stewartfor Harnesslink
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