By Jordyn Bublitz
David Marshall might not be as visible around the race-tracks as he once was, but he will still have a strong presence at Cambridge Raceway tonight with two fillies stepping out for the Movie Night At The Raceway 21st Dec Mobile Pace.
These days Marshall keeps his operation deliberately small, a change that has come about as his son Kyle has forged his own successful path across the Tasman. Kyle, alongside partner Sophie Jeffries, has built a thriving training business in Victoria.
“He’s doing so well over there, I’m really proud of him,” Marshall said. “Him and Sophie are going huge. It’s great, especially because they’ve done it all on their own.”
Back home, Marshall has opted for quality over quantity, with just two horses currently in work. Both are fillies, both are home-bred, and both have been entirely produced by Marshall from the very beginning.
Those two fillies are Lil Mac and Arose, who will meet each other head-to-head tonight (6.22pm). Both will be long odds with Arose at $31 and Lil Mac at $61.
Arose has already had a look at race-day conditions, making her debut, finishing sixth, at Cambridge on November 14. Marshall was more than satisfied with what he saw.
“I thought it was really good,” he said. “I told Todd (Mitchell) I’d be happy if we got a soft trip and a nice run home, and that’s exactly what we got. To be fair, she was a bit unlucky, the gap just closed on her going up the straight, but I was really happy with her run.”
Lil Mac, meanwhile, will be stepping out for her debut tonight. Marshall admits she has taken a little longer to come to hand, but patience has been the key.
“She hasn’t got the greatest conformation and she’s a bit nervy,” he explained. “But when she’s in the gear she’s completely fine. Because of her conformation I haven’t done a lot with her. She actually ended up in a qualifying trial because there were no learners’ heats and she qualified, so I thought she could race this week and then go out for a break.”
Marshall believes time will be Lil Mac’s greatest ally.
“I think she’ll come back as quite a nice three-year-old,” he said. “She’s a big filly, so we’ve had to take things easy, but she’s come a long way in a short time.”
Asked if he could split the pair, Marshall was diplomatic.
“They’re pretty even at this stage,” he said. “We’ll know a bit more in another six months. Arose is probably going a little bit better at the moment, but she’s done a lot more than the other filly.”
