Royden Williams
Kyle Marshall is in for a promising career as a trainer if his first season is anything to go by.
The Cambridge horseman has recorded 13 wins and 15 placings from only 68 starts this season and he is eager to improve on that mark next term with an exciting, young team behind him.
“I’m rapt with the way the season has gone and I am rapt with the help I get from different people,” Marshall said.
“It seems to be a system that works, where everyone is relaxed and the horses are happy.
“I have really enjoyed my first season of training. I have got a few horses around me at the moment, a few young ones, so I am really looking forward to next season, I should have a really good season.”
Marshall has experienced a number of great moments this season, but said securing his first training win with Alta Leonie at Alexandra Park in September was a highlight.
The daughter of Big Jim came to mean a lot to Marshall, with the five-year-old mare also securing his first Cups win as a trainer when victorious in the Otaki Cup (3000m) in February.
She later added the Stratford Cup (2600m) to his trophy cabinet, but was retired after her third-placing in the Hawera Cup (3150m) in April.
“Getting that first one out of the way was a real highlight, and driving it as well,” Marshall said.
“Unfortunately we had to retire her because all of her problems caught up with her, but I believe she will make a great broodmare.”
Another important moment for Marshall was finishing runner-up in the Gr.3 Northern Trotting Oaks (2200m) with Lady Be Good, who he is expecting to improve next season.
“I like the rising four-year-old trotter Lady Be Good, I think she will come back a really nice horse,” he said. “There are quite a few in the stable that I expect to go quite well.”
While Marshall has experienced a stellar first season in the training ranks, he has also achieved his best season in the cart in terms of prizemoney.
He has reined home 31 winnners this term and earnt $322,427 in prizemoney, nearly $20,000 more than last season.
His latest victory was behind the Dave and Clare McGowan-trained In My Shadow, who took out the S.O.T.B R50+ $25K Franklin Cup July 19 Mobile Pace (2200m) at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
Having driven the son of Shadow Play in his previous two starts, his victory on Friday was a pleasing result for Marshall.
“I quite liked him the first couple of starts I drove him,” he said. “It was a good confidence run for him because he is a nervous horse and has got better each time I have driven him.”
Marshall is looking forward to next season and believes he has the arsenal to have a few runners compete in The Jewels at his home track in May.
“I would just like to improve on this season,” he said. “I have got a few young ones coming through that I’d like to think I could get through to the Jewels.” – Cambridge Raceway
