By Michael Floyd
Kyle Marshall will soon call Cranbourne home after the New Zealand trainer/driver recently announced his intention to move across the Tasman.
Marshall, 29, is one of harness racing’s rising stars.
Since gaining his junior driver’s licence in 2011, Marshall has driven 273 winners including 36 in Australia, and he finished fourth in the 2016 Australasian Young Drivers Championship.
But it is in the training ranks that Marshall is dreaming big, and it is those ambitions that prompted the move to Australia.
“I was in Australia nine years ago with (Australian trainer) Brent Lilly as a concession driver,” he said.
“I was always planning to get back over there at some stage, and now obviously the time is right. “There’s just a lot more opportunities and we’re just really looking forward to it and giving it a real crack.”
Marshall visited the training centre last November where he inspected the facilities and met a number of local trainers, including the Jamieson brothers who made the move from Cambridge to Cranbourne in 2022.
“I knew the Jamiesons when they were here (New Zealand).
“I caught up with them and they’re enjoying it and having a lot of success.
“I looked at the facilities and you have everything you need there, so had to do it.
“It’s a big move for us but we’re at a stage now where we want to give it 110 per cent and do what we can to be winning these races to make the move worthwhile.
“All of our owners, everyone was supportive – they’re saying go for it and they’re happy to send their horses with me if they think it’s the right thing to do and have those opportunities over there.”
Marshall currently prepares a team of 12 at Cambridge, many of which will also make the move to Australia including stable stars Yogi Sun and Son Of Mac.
The pair were among Marshall’s first foray into purchasing at the yearling sales and both are campaigning in feature races on New Zealand’s South Island.
Bringing new owners into the sport is a priority for Marshall and his partner, Sophie Jefferies, and they believe their eye for a yearling is the key.
“They’re the two horses I’m looking forward to bringing over because they’re the two horses I think can get my name out there pretty quickly,” he said.
“We’re also keen to go to the sales in April and look to pick up a couple and syndicate them out. “We’re both horse owners and know how important communication between owners and trainers is.
“We are committed and hungry and there won’t be a stone left unturned.
“We really want to make the move worthwhile.”
Marshall and Jefferies will complete their move to Cranbourne in April.
