Death of well known Southland horseman Murray Brown

Ascot Park horseman Murray Brown died in Invercargill during the week.

He began his career with Henry Skinner, an association that started while Brown was playing rugby for Central Pirates.

“Henry, Alan Devery and John Hay who trained at Ryal Bush used to come down and watch the rugby. We ended up with horses with Henry. I was at the works (Freezing Works) and used to go and help him in the off-season. I then went over to Bryce’s (Bryce Buchanan) when he broke his leg. Henry and Bryce signed my form to get a training licence,” Brown told me after he won his 500th race with Soapbox at Gore in 2017.

Brown initially rented boxes at what is now Wayne Adam’s property and then bought his current stable in Findley Road from Stewart Barlow.

He trained 551 winners. His first was Mike Adios at Ascot Park in September 1984. 261 of his 551 winners were on his home track of Ascot Park.

Mike Adios was owned by Brown, his good friend Cleland Murdoch and Peter Kerslake.

Brown trained 40 winners for Murdoch including those raced by the Highlanders and Watch Your Step syndicates which Murdoch managed.

Good horses for the ownership and training combination were Onedin Supreme, Highview Jude, Chers Bettor Babe and Quaddie VC.

Brown won the Southland Trainer of the Year Premiership seven times – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2012.

His best winner was Beaudiene Bad Babe which won twenty two races and $404,898. She was crowned Four Year Old Female Pacer of the Year in 2009/2010 and Five Year Old Female Pacer of the Year 2010/2011.

Others of multiple winners, were Awesum Teddy (10), Freeway Don (10), Highview Jude (9), Mister Dale (8) and Absolutely Brilliant (8).

Murray won one Group One feature – the Harness Jewels Four Year Old Diamond with Beaudiene Bad Babe. She also won the Group Two Southland Oaks Final and the Group Two Premier Mares Championship twice.

Other feature races he won include the Cheviot Two Year Old Fillies Stakes with Hemisphere, the Southland Fillies Classic with Absolutely Brilliant and the Hannon Memorial with Freeway Don.

He took away numerous Country Cups in the Southland region, including the Wairio Cup three times; Hebe Gebe, Loch Nagar and Beaudiene Bad Babe.

Andrew Armour was his most successful driver reining 162 winners for Brown followed by Clark Barron 40 and John Hay 34.

Brown was also the second Southland trainer to join the elite 500 Club. Hamish Hunter was the first.

He was a member of the Golden Arrow, Highlanders and Watch Your Step Syndicates and as an owner he had a share in horses that altogether won 126 races including Owaka Jack (9), Rimesaut (7) and Highview Jude (9).

Brown also served on the committee of the Invercargill Harness Racing Club for thirty one years. He also served on the committee of the Ascot Park Consortium, and was a member of the Southland Oaks and Supremacy and the Southland Owners and Trainers committees.

Tomorrow at Winton, in honour of Murray’s passing, Dragon Power and Shergar, will race in his colours while Midnight Babe, a daughter of Beaudiene Bad Babe will wear the Harness Jewels colours worn by that mare when she won the Four Year Old Diamond at Cambridge.

With Murray’s passing Southland has lost someone who has made a significant contribution to harnessing racing for forty years.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink