It's 7.00 am. The sun is rising and all you can hear is the dull thud of horses' hooves on the dewy grass, peppered with the odd yell of encouragement. Last year's Melbourne Cup winner, far from the glamour of a big race day, trots past on his way to a morning workout. Welcome to trackwork at Flemington, and an all too familiar scene at every major racetrack in Australia.
In the midst of this, US Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day is busy sharing his testimony with trainers juggling binoculars, coffee and stopwatches. I am goggling at the gospel opportunity that has suddenly presented itself.
This is the milieu of racetrack ministry, far from the middle-class world of church on a Sunday morning.
Over a 32-year career, Pay Day rode an astonishing 8,800 winners for nearly US$298m in purses, including the Kentucky Derby winner in 1992. He became a Christian in 1984.
Having retired from riding in 2005, Pat now serves the Lord Jesus through full-time ministry with Race Track Chaplaincy of America. He travels around the US and elsewhere, encouraging local racing chaplaincies and speaking about Jesus to riders, track workers, stablehands, breeders, owners, trainers and industry officials. Many doors have opened for the gospel through the success of his career, and the ministry is growing in Asia, Oceania and around the world.
Pat recently visited Australia as guest of the Australian Racing Christian Chaplaincy, a non-denominational ministry seeking to reach people working in the horse racing world. He visited Christchurch (NZ), Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney during which time he spoke at churches, met racing officials, attended trackwork at Flemington and Rosehill, went to Randwick races, assisted with fundraising and even had the privilege of seeing a racing person and partner commit their lives to Christ.
Photo: Pat Day (left) with ARCC Sydney Chaplain Rev Colin Watts at trackwork at Rosehill 
Horse racing is one of those sub-cultures in Australian society that falls beyond the normal 9-5 working day of many Australians. Unless it is a raceday, by 9.30 am the working day in a stable is largely over. Many of its workers melt into the rural fabric of Australia, are on the road travelling between race meetings, work a second part-time job or spend time catching up on sleep when the rest of us are at the office. The average Christian is more likely to know an ordinary punter who just goes to the races, rather than someone who actually works in the industry. Yet these people need to hear the gospel just like anyone else. The industry also has its share of social problems where the support of the church can make a difference.
Pat Day may not be a famous sporting figure to most Australians, but people in racing know him. On every occasion he described the emptiness of success and its shallow foundations - and this coming from someone who had it all. His compelling story of true life found in Jesus had an audience even at 7.00 am in the morning.
