Jockey Lloyd Marshall passed away early this morning. He was 58. Lloyd Marshal was detected with cancer more than a decade and a half ago. He fought the dreaded ailment all these years and also returned to riding race horses after a break. Lloyd Marshall has ridden for almost all the big names like Dr MAM Ramaswamy, Dr Vijay Mallya, Mr Khaitan, and for the stables of trainers like Dr RR Byramji, Jaggy Dhariwal and has ridden in all the racing centers in the country. He was known was his great riding skills, accurate judgment of pace and possessed a bag full of tricks to outwit competition.

 Lloyd was a jockey of quality and high repute.  Over a riding career spanning 38 years after he got his riding license in Madras, (now Chennai) in 1972, Lloyd established himself as one of the top jockeys of his time. He won around 900 races and has several Classics/Group race victories to his credit. Lloyd’s pinnacle of glory was at the famed Mahalaxmi racecourse, when he fought out an exciting finish atop Chaitanya Chakram in the Indian Derby (Gr 1) warding off India’s riding ace Vasant Shinde astride Capricorn.

The legendary Chaitanya Chakram, trained by Jaggy Dhariwal, was a habitual start to finish galloper. When cautioned that this style of running was not the best strategy for the Derby distance (2400 meters), particularly on the Mumbai track may not be ideal, Marshall is believed to have replied, “I will go the way my horse would like to travel. I know this is the big one, yet I will stick to his style of running, whatever Chaitanya Chakram does, he does best. He won’t let anyone pass him, you will see for yourself!”  Lloyd was bullish on this one!

What happened in the race was memorable. Chaitanya Chakram settled to lead the field all the way into the straight. Capricorn, ridden by the great Vasant Shinde, cruised closer to Chaitanya Chakram approaching the final furlong. “I was on the bit” recalls Vasant. “It was a matter of time, I thought, before I would get past them, but to my shock, Lloyd Marshall rode out as though his life depended on it and encouraged Chaitanya Chakram to produce that little extra. I think this was probably the best ride, flawless and vigorous.  His jockeyship and the superb temperament of the horse carried them through. I did my best, but Lloyd emerged better. I will remember this contest forever. He was a great horseman, may his soul rest in peace,” said Vasant.

Jaggy Dhariwal – Lloyd Marshall was a dedicated soul and a horseman to the core. I had a memorable association with him. He was punctual and took his work seriously. His feedback was exceptional and he was always a big plus when it came to preparing horses. His partnership with two of my horses – Chaitanya Ratham and Chaitanya Chakram is remembered to date. He rode a brilliant race in the Indian Derby when he fought off Vasant. That was one of the most incredible moments of racing memories for me. My condolences to his family members, this is a hard time for them. I shall truly miss him but I have a lot of pleasant memories about him too in my memory bank.”  

Pesi Shroff – “I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Lloyd Marshall. It’s certainly a big loss to the racing fraternity. He was one of the ‘old-school’ boys and inherited the discipline, hard work and dedication that the generation then had. I extend my condolences to his family, may his soul rest in peace.”

Aslam Kadar – “He was a genuine person and mild off the track. A very good rider and on his day he could take anyone on. It is sad news, may his soul rest in peace.”

Satish Narredu – “He was a thorough gentleman and a good human being. He was a true judge of pace and had good temperament. His passing away comes as a shock, he will be missed.”

Malesh Narredu – “He was a gem of a person, always warm and friendly. I have a lot of good memories with him. He always guided me during my early days and I owe a lot to him. He has seen many highs and lows but he was always cheerful. I have great respect for him and will surely miss him.”

Ryan Marshal – “To me, he was probably the best man to have around at the racecourse. He was always helpful to the younger jockeys and many have benefitted through his guidance and coaching. He loved his horses genuinely and spent a lot of time with them. I am fortunate to have been close to him and learnt something new each day with him. I will miss him a lot.”