Family, friends and fans of a Canadian harness racing icon will honour the late Robert Murphy at Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino tonight
, Friday, June 11.
Robert Murphy Night is a salute to one of Canada’s most prominent breeders and owners in the history of standardbred racing. Mr. Murphy passed away on February 8, 2010 at the age of 77.
Mr. Murphy’s horses raced under the Red Star banner and earned more than $105 million in purses over two decades. He and his wife of 58 years, Mary, were honoured by the B.C. Standardbred Breeders’ Society in 2008 with the renaming of the BC Breeders Stakes for three-year-olds. Robert Murphy was inducted into the British Columbia Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.
Robert Murphy Night at Fraser Downs, June 11, will include the fifth race on that evening’s card named in his honour as well as a special ceremony to dedicate a private meeting room in his name located off the Atrium in the main entrance to Fraser Downs.
“Bob never did like publicity,” says Mary Murphy. “But I know how much this would have meant to him. He would have been thrilled.”
Jackson Wittup, Standardbred Canada Chair and Director of Racing at Fraser Downs, had known Robert Murphy for many years. “Standardbred racing across North America was dealt a severe blow with his passing,” Wittup said. “Bob had horses all over North America as well as his home base in B.C. and a large stable in Alberta. He was a wonderful humanitarian.”
Racing resumes tonight and Saturday at Fraser Downs with 7:30 p.m. start times. Following Robert Murphy Night on June 11, there will be a major benefit for the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation on Saturday, June 12 with racing at 6:00 p.m. and a special Rock ‘n Racing program at 9:00 p.m. with live music featuring the bands All About Jack, Drink The Fatt and the Keith Diamond Rockets.
The final date on this year’s racing calendar – Saturday, June 19 – will be Customer Appreciation Night with an Academy Awards theme and prizes available throughout the evening. The grand prize is a Twin Anchors Houseboat Vacation for 15.
(Fraser Downs)