Kyle Marshall to hit Nutrien Sales before full-time Aussie move

Kyle Marshall is eyeing the rich harness racing breeding bonuses available in Victoria ahead of his move to Cranbourne later this month.

The 29-year-old New Zealander’s move across the Tasman coincides with the Nutrien Equine Yearling Sales in Melbourne at which he plans to be an active participant.

“With the Vicbred bonuses, it’s just a no-brainer,” Marshall said.

“You get a Vicbred horse and if you win a race, you get up to 12 grand back. And there are Vicbred races worth 200 grand, so they’re really good breeding bonuses and racing bonuses.”

Marshall, along with partner Sophie Jeffries, made the decision to move to Australia late last year, and after touring the facilities at the Cranbourne Training Centre, opted to make Cranbourne their home.

“It (Cranbourne) has everything you need. You have a swimming pool, treadmill, walker and a good track, so when I get over there I’ll walk into nice facilities and the horses really like it there,” he said.

“I went over there in November and it looked amazing. The Cranbourne club is helping us syndicate and get new owners to get my name out there.”

Marshall will be bringing a team of horses with him from New Zealand including stable stars Son Of Mac and Yogi Sun, but is also keen to welcome new owners to the barn.

Cranbourne president David Scott is hopeful that Kyle’s initiative to secure a future for he and his partner Sophie in Australia will not go unnoticed or unrewarded.

“Kyle has proven himself a really capable young horseman in NZ and he has the drive to succeed here,” Scott said.

“I know Kyle is planning to be active at the upcoming Nutrien Yearling Sale next month. And I’d like to think that locals will partner with him in syndicating a couple of well-bred youngsters from the sale. That said, I’m aware that Kyle is keen to not upset existing owner-trainer relationships. But I’m sure he’d welcome the involvement of existing participants if only on a modest scale.”

Anyone interested in learning about ownership opportunities with Kyle Marshall can contact him via his website, www.kylemarshallracing.co.nz, or via the Cranbourne club.

The Nutrien Equine Yearling Sales commence on Saturday, April 1.

by Michael Floyd for Harness Racing New South Wales