Thursday 11th June 2015
Twenty-seven year old Murray Sullivan deserves all the success he has had this season. Working a fulltime job in Forbes for a small goods company, Sullivan has still managed to drive 46 winners this season across the state and is hoping he can add to that tally at Peak Hill’s Carnival Of Cups meeting this Sunday.
Sullivan arrives at the stables of Jason Gaffney at 4am most mornings and begins working horses before heading home at 6:30am to get ready for his daytime job.
“Jason works fulltime on a farm now and Warwick Edgerton comes out and gives us a hand too, but we are all there very early to get as much work done in the morning before we head off to work,” said Sullivan.
“I get to the stables every morning except Thursday and we all get back to the stables at around 4:30 in the afternoon to finish up what hasn’t been done in the morning, it makes for long days but if we can get one winner each week it makes it a lot easier to get out of bed each morning.”
Sullivan’s best season previously was 2013/14 when he drove 27 winners and he is proud to be eyeing off 50 winners this season.
“It will be a feather in my cap if I can win 50 races in the year, I look at some of the guys driving fulltime in the city that get to four or five meetings a week and do a good job driving between 50 and 100 each year.
“I normally only drive at one or two meetings a week and I will be pretty proud of the achievement for sure.”
Strong support from Gaffney and Peter Bullock has played a large part in Sullivan’s success but he is quick to think of a number of smaller stables that have helped as well.
“I think Jason has had 27 winners this season and Peter Bullock has given me a lot of drives too but there are a number of other trainers who have been putting me on at the country meetings which helps a lot.”
Sullivan will drive Go Lassie Go in the feature race at Peak Hill on Sunday, the Tony and Jill McGrath Pace.
“I think the barrier draw has made it very open, Steve Turnbull’s two horses have drawn the second row and Wabi Sabi looks a good chance despite being beaten in the heats off the front.
“We’ve drawn barrier two, Go Lassie Go has brilliant gatespeed so we will definitely be in the firing line early.”
According to Sullivan his best chance on Sunday is last start winner Bronze Sign.
“She’s a nice little horse, she has won three for us leading on each occasion and I really think the Peak Hill track will suit her.”
Harness Racing NSW (HRNSW) is the controlling body for harness racing in New South Wales with responsibility for commercial and regulatory management of the industry including 31 racing clubs across the State. HRNSW is headed by an industry-appointed Board of Directors and is independent of Government.