Former Pat Duff sprinter holding court for old mates

By Jordan Gerrans

The connection between long-term mates Jim Murdoch and Walter Tutt, with the late Pat Duff, goes back more than half-a-century and they were able to add another chapter to their friendship on Saturday afternoon at the Gold Coast.

The 78-year-old Murdoch has taken a break from training at times in recent years but remains passionate about preparing a small team at Deagon in Brisbane’s north.

He tasted his first winner since the 2020-21 campaign on Saturday at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast when On The Target scored by almost a length.

As well as preparing a few gallopers as a hobby, Murdoch KC is also a high-profile barrister in Queensland.

On The Target was initially prepared by the late Hall of Fame horseman Duff before his sad death in 2024 while Tutt owns a majority share in the bay gelding.

The sprinter had a short four-run stay with top Brisbane mentor Kelly Schweida before Murdoch eventually took him on after a couple of conversations with his friend of more than 50 years in Tutt.

Tutt is a well-known former Brisbane judge.

Murdoch believes a change in strategy around On The Target’s stabling has worked wonders with the son of Golden Archer.

“Walter Tutt and his sons, they'd always had horses with the late Pat Duff,” Murdoch said.

“The horse had a reputation as being difficult. They asked me whether I'd take him and I took him on last November.

“I just tried an unorthodox approach, so the horse never goes in a box. He's got a day yard and a night yard and it seems to have settled him down a little bit, anyway.

“He's actually been quite a nice horse to look after and he trialled very well.

“He put in a very good third at Ipswich and then he won at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

“So naturally, I was very pleased to have the success for old friends.

“Because Pat and I were pretty close, I remember when Pat had the horse before he started and Pat thought that he was a horse with a lot of potential.”

On The Target broke out of maiden ranks at Gympie in August of 2023 under the stewardship of the revered Duff.

The Tutt family were rewarded for their persistence with the gelding as he won at his 31^st race start on Saturday at the Gold Coast in a Colts, Geldings and Entires Ratings Band 0 – 58 Handicap over 1000 metres.

Englishman Fred Larson steered the sprinter to victory to notch his third winner for the month so far.

Murdoch described the gelding as a bit of an “enigma” as Duff always felt he could string races together, but he rarely put his promise into performances on the track.

“Pat was a very good judge,” he said.

“The horse just hadn't lived up to the ability that Pat thought he had.

“But, anyway, he's now six, so it's good that we're able to get a grass track win out of the horse.

“Pat and I were friends for 50 years, because Wally Tutt, Pat and I have been mates since we were young, to put it bluntly. 

"Pat and I would talk a lot about horses.”

On The Target is likely to return to the Gold Coast in a fortnight’s time in search of his third career triumph for his loyal connections. 

Murdoch is busy training a team of three horses from Deagon after taking a lengthy break from the day-to-day rigours of the game last year.

He was first licensed to train way back in 1983 and at his peak he worked with a team of five.

“I love horses. That's my main sort of weakness,” he said.

“In the early years, I had some success and we had reasonable success over the years. It is harder to do as you get older.

“I took six months off last year just to get a bit of balance back with my other activities.

“I got On The Target in November and that got me going again.

“I'm slowly building back up again, if we can put it that way.”

Murdoch also prepares maiden galloper Mister Blaze, who was last at the races in December of 2024, as well as a two-year-old colt that is a son of Grunt.