Trish Dunell
Alta Leonie’s win in the Natural Habitats Mobile Pace (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night was an emotional one for Cambridge trainer Kyle Marshall.
The victory not only marked his first win as a trainer, but also the ten-year memorial of Alta Leonie’s namesake, Jackie Higgins, the late wife of part-owner Dave Higgins.
“I’m absolutely rapt with the win, it was good to have the family there and it was a good horse to do it on,” Marshall said.
“One of the owners, Dave Higgins, bought her from the sales and named her Jackie after his wife who passed away. It was the ten year anniversary (of her passing), so it was quite emotional.”
Marshall also drove the Big Jim five-year-old mare, who took her career tally to three wins from just nine starts and her young trainer was duly impressed with the three-length victory.
“They went quite hard out of the gate,” he said. “We slotted in the one-one and then they were just walking, so we popped around easy and she felt sharp from then.”
The win was made even more special for Marshall given he wore the colours he inherited from his father David at the start of the season.
Marshall said his father gave him a solid grounding in the industry before he went on to learn from trainers on both sides of the Tasman, including Mike Berger, Brent Lilley, Michelle Wallis and Brent Mangos.
“To carry on and use the same colours is special,” he said.
“I started to come down to the stables with Dad before school and in the weekends.
“I then started off with Mike Berger when I was 17-years-old and he was probably one of the most influential people in my career. He got me started and he put me on every week at the workouts and I learnt a lot from him and couldn’t thank him enough.
“Everyone I have worked for has been a big help.”
Marshall, who trains eight horses out of his Cambridge barn, said Alta Leonie will likely backup at Alexandra Park next week, while he has plenty to look forward to this season with Lady Be Good, an exciting Andover Hall three-year-old filly out of the multiple Group One winner Allegro Agitato.
“We’ll see how she (Alta Leonie) pulls up, but she’ll probably back-up next week in a mile race at Auckland,” Marshall said.
“I have a three-year-old filly out of Allegro Agitato I have got a lot of time for, she’s one to look out for. She’ll qualify about Christmas time and we’ll look to race her from then.” – Cambridge Raceway
