Popular steward calls time on tenure in racing game

By Jordan Gerrans

It is a very rare occurrence for a race club in Queensland to contact the stewards' office and request a specific stipe attend their meeting.

As North Queensland senior steward Darryl Griffith for many decades explains, those kind of phone calls used to come to his office on a regular basis.

The clubs based in the North West, Leichhardt and Far North racing districts of the Sunshine State were not calling for Griffith himself to jump in the car and lead their annual race meetings.

They were inquiring about the availability of the respected and universally loved Ray Smith.

“He developed a passion for the bush and the picnic race meetings,” Griffith said of Smith.

“We used to actually get clubs who would ring us up and ask if we could send Ray to their meeting – that does not happen with a lot of stewards (laughs).”

At 80 years of age, Smith worked at his final race meeting of his distinguished career earlier this year at Richmond before calling time on his tenure as a steward.

After a lengthy career in the police force in Queensland, Smith took up a role as a steward in 2000 and has been a smiling face with a gag to tell at race meetings across the state ever since.

While he often worked at TAB clubs such as Townsville, Mackay and Cairns, it was the ‘proper bush meetings’ like Tower Hill and Kooroorinya that Smith loved attending.

“Smithy has been a stalwart in the North West for many years and is highly respected by all stakeholders,” regional race caller Andrew Watts said.

“Ray will be sadly missed on the picnic circuit, which he holds close to his heart.”

Smith has called Townsville home his entire life.

As former chief steward of Townsville, Griffith notes it can be difficult to convince staff to drive in the car for 10 hours to run a race meeting in the North West, stay the night away from their friends and family over the weekend and then drive back the following day.

That is where Smith found his niche.

“I really liked the picnic clubs and I liked helping those clubs as they are all run by volunteers,” the retired steward said.

“I am not one for the limelight, that is why I liked to work in the bush.”

It was not just Tower Hill and Kooroorinya for their grass-fed meetings, Smith would put his hand up to head to Ewan or Hughenden before running a Cleveland Bay meeting at Cluden Park.

There was one major reason why he wanted to work at those country non-TAB clubs.

“The people,” he detailed on Wednesday morning.

“Even though more or less I am a city bloke from Townsville, I was in the coppers for 40 years but I was always interested in the bush with cattle and all that kind of stuff.

“You would have good yarns at the races with people that own horses that are graziers.”

The popular steward crossed paths with countless industry figures and participants over his 23 years in the game and he left a lasting impression on one of the most prominent voices in racing in the Sunshine State.

Queensland metropolitan race caller Josh Fleming took to social media recently to laud the career of Smith.

“This man here is one of the best that ever graced the Earth,” Fleming said in a social media post.

“I have many great memories of working with Ray at the Kooroorinya Picnics.

“This and other picnic and country meetings would not be what they were if not for this man.”

After around four decades in the police force as a detective, Smith transitioned into a steward by chance largely.

Griffith would often see Smith at the track – for both the gallops and pacers – in a social capacity, as well as working the beat as a police officer.

Smith retired from the police force in 2000 and the top stipe in NQ at the time – Griffith – approached him about taking on a job in his office.

“He has always had a love of racing – even when he was in the police force – and he was not a punter, he just loved the sport,” Griffith says.

“He also just loves people as well, he has always got a story or a joke.”

Smith quickly went from being a newcomer to the stewards' ranks to chairing meetings in a short period of time.

He brought a unique skill set as a steward with his extensive background as a detective that racing participants warmed to.  

“He just has great people skills – which is something stewards have to do – and he has fantastic people skills and he can sum up a situation and read a race well,” Griffith said.

“Sometimes he can put out bush fires without having a big stick and that always goes over well in any stewarding role, particularly in the country.

“He also has an incredible sense of humour and is a real Australian larrikin.”

Despite often having to endure tough conversations with participants which regularly included handing out suspensions and fines, Smith remained admired by all.

“Ray has the respect of the entire industry out there,” Griffith said.

“The clubs, trainers and jockeys just loved him.

“He is firm but fair as well as being old school, he calls a spade a spade.

“It is amazing that he was still working as a steward into his 80s, it is a great effort and we are really going to miss him.”