BIRTHDAY BOY’S BIGGEST WEEK OF HIS RACING LIFE

WHAT a week it is for Sam Murray!

One of a new breed of young racecourse managers who spent six years learning the ropes at a provincial club, Murray turned 32 today.

But birthday celebrations will have to wait a while as he prepares Scone racetrack for its annual two-day carnival on Friday and Saturday.

Considering Murray has been in the job for only a few weeks, you could be forgiven for thinking he might be feeling more than a tad nervous.

Not at all however.

“I will have been here at Scone a month when the Cup is run on the first day of the carnival on Friday,” Murray said today.

“I guess I’ve been thrown in the deep end to some extent, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Taree born Murray says he has been “educated” by two of the best racecourse managers in the business.

“I spent three years at my local racetrack (Manning Valley Race Club) with Scott Olson (who had spent 11 years as Wyong Race Club’s track manager before moving to Taree in 2013),” Murray said.

“He was my first boss, and I learnt a lot from him.

“Then I was lucky enough to move to Gosford Race Club as Steve Scollard’s assistant racecourse manager, and again learnt plenty from him.

“Scott and Steve are very experienced managers, and I could not have had a better grounding to manage my own race club by working with them.”

Murray returned home last year and spent 12 months working at his local golf club as a greenkeeper – and “saw the light”.

“That made me realise that racing was my passion,” he said.

“That wasn’t for me and, when I saw the job advertised at Scone, I didn’t have to think twice to put in an application.”

Murray steps into the shoes of previous Scone racecourse managers such as Jody Rodgers and Digby Nuthall, who have gone on to bigger challenges.

Rodgers is now racecourse manager at the very busy Gold Coast Turf Club, and Murray replaced 25-year-old Nuthall, who spent a year at Scone before recently gaining the position at Hawkesbury Race Club as racecourse manager.

Murray has indeed had an upbringing in the industry – but on the other side of racing’s fence.

Scone track today

“My grandfather was a bookmaker, and my two uncles also were bookmakers,” he explained.

“As a result, I spent lot of time growing up going to the races.”

Before starting his new job, Murray was quite aware of the popularity of Scone’s two-day carnival during the Scone Horse Week Festival, and says if the weather stays on side, he will present an excellent racing surface on Friday and Saturday.

“With more than 500 nominations for the two days, obviously we’re going to have big fields and plenty of traffic over the track,” he said.

“It was a borderline ‘Good 4’ rating this morning, and I’m confident it will be a perfect track when the first gets underway on Friday.

“The course is in fantastic condition. I can’t wait.”

Story John Curtis, May 13, 2025 - Pics supplied