Murray Pash-ionate about harness racing

Eighty year old Richmond Park trainer Murray Pash is passionate about harness racing and when Sargent Henry (Sky Major) the sole horse he trains won today at Patterson Park in Westport, he was stoked.

Having just his fourth start, the two year old was given the perfect trip in the trail by Jim Curtin and he sprinted up the inside to win by a length and a quarter.

SARGENT HENRY REPLAY

“I sent him down to Christchurch for a bit of experience. Jimmy looked after him and it worked out well. He’s a great guy Jimmy, and I was pleased he was driving him today,” Murray said.

Pash had his first drive as an eight year old on a horse called Be Good trained by Hec Henderson at Ashburton.

“He was a close friend of the family and I got the bug.”

Pash has now won twenty races on the Coast; eight at Westport, seven at Reefton and five at Greymouth.

“I972 was the first year I came to Westport and drove a horse for my father-in-law Noel Berkett. I always try to come here. I’ve met a lot of people. This year I lost my real good mate Trevor Craddock. I think he was looking down on me today.”

Pash drove his first winner Black Sea, at Invercargill in December 1968.

“I was living in Nightcaps. I had a trial licence prior to moving there. When I got there they took the licence and told me I had to get a share in a horse. I was going from Nightcaps to Winton and helping Harry and Alister Cox. They offered me any one of three and I picked this old horse called Black Sea who was a six year old. He had three placings in his first three starts then he won two.”

Pash moved to Nelson in 1972.

“I’ve never had more that one or two horses. I got injured in a work accident and I buggered my shoulder and couldn’t go back to work, so I took on the odd horse.”

Macraider was the best horse Pash trained. He qualified and had two starts for Murray before he was sold to Australia for $110,000.

He won nine races there, running second in the WA Derby before he was exported to America where he won a further thirty five races.

Other good horses he’s trained have been Jazelle (7), Arcano (9) and Eastburn Gee (6).

“Arcano was a bad knee knocker but won a lot of 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 the 1952 New Zealand Cup winner Mobile Globe.

Although he’s in the twilight of his training career Murray is still very keen to share his knowledge with the next generation.

“There’s a couple of young guys at Richmond Park, Steve and Tim Fensom, who I like to give a hand to because they’re the future of harness racing in Nelson. He added, “I said when I turned 80 I’d give up training horses. But now I’ve got this horse who is two, it looks like I’ll have to keep going until I’m eighty five. I think by the time he’s four he’s going to be fully matured.”

For complete race results, click here.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink