Taylor Marshall to ride in honour of his father in Group 1 Doncaster Mile

Taylor Marshall will honour his late father, legendary Melbourne Cup winning jockey John, when he rides in Saturday’s Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick.

Jockey Taylor Marshall and his late Melbourne Cup winning father John Marshall. Picture: Supplied.

In death, legendary Melbourne Cup winning jockey John Marshall is still shaping the riding career and the life of his boy.

And so it’s only fitting that Taylor Marshall will pay a special tribute to his Dad when the Queensland jockey rides Bandersnatch in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on Saturday.

With ‘Taylor Marshall” emblazoned on the left side of his jockey breeches and “John Marshall” on the right side, Taylor will be getting help from above on Saturday.

John Marshall, who rode 1999 Melbourne Cup winner Rogan Josh and who lost his lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer in 2018, is never far from his son’s thoughts.

John Marshall after winning the 1999 Melbourne Cup on Rogan Josh. Picture: AP Photo.

“I still miss him incredibly, every day, it’s one of those things that never gets easier,” Taylor Marshall told News Corp.

“In a funny way, he is teaching me things now that he could never have taught me if he was still here.

“My perspective of life has completely changed in every way, shape and form since Dad died.

“If he was still here, I know for a fact I wouldn’t be as grateful and I wouldn’t be as appreciative of what he did for me.

“Him being gone has allowed me to see what a nice and great person he was, racing aside.

“Countless people come up to me daily and tell me stories about Dad and that just means the world to me.

“Everyone speaks so highly of him and no matter what sort of level a person was at, he would always give them the time of day.

“For me, that’s very important to carry on that legacy.

“There are other sons of jockeys riding and we do want to pave our own way and find our own mark.

“But for me, it’s about honouring Dad’s career and keeping the Marshall name prevalent in racebooks.”

Jockey Taylor Marshall when he was a baby, with his Melbourne Cup winning father John. Picture: Supplied.

Taylor Marshall, 30, has ridden in five Group 1s including Stradbroke Handicaps but has never before ridden in a Group 1 in Sydney.

Sydney was where he cut his teeth as a jockey, riding four winners at his first metropolitan meeting at Rosehill in 2014.

The stars aligned for Marshall to get the ride on Bandersnatch, who he will ride at 51kg in the Doncaster after the Team Hawkes-trained galloper scored last Saturday’s Doncaster Prelude.

At Eagle Farm last Saturday, Marshall won on the Nathan Doyle trained Kipsbay which is syndicated by Calibre Racing Group headed by Marshall’s cousin Josh Barrett.

Josh Barrett, the son of former jockey and now jockey valet Chris Barrett, is the nephew of the late John Marshall.

Josh and Chris Barrett are in the ownership of Bandersnatch.

“When Bandersnatch won the (Doncaster) Prelude I was actually watching it in the (Eagle Farm) mounting yard before Kipsbay won,” Marshall said.

“I spoke to my cousin afterwards that day, the fact that Bandersnatch has 51kg in the Doncaster played heavily in my favour as a lightweight rider.

“From a family perspective, it’s a pretty big moment for us.

“It’s pretty special to me able to have a Group 1 ride in these circumstances.”

Bandersnatch scores in the Doncaster Prelude. Picture: Getty Images.

Bandersnatch, an on-pace runner who has won 10 of 34 starts, has drawn to advantage in barrier 5 in the $4m Doncaster.

After the barrier draw, Bandersnatch firmed from $26 to $21 with TAB fixed odds.

Marshall, seeking his first Group 1 win, thinks he will be there at the business end of the Doncaster.

“I think he’s a genuine chance in the race, he’s an on-speed horse and is proven to be versatile on most surfaces,” Marshall said.

“History shows that lightweight contenders in the Doncaster are proven to go quite well.

“I feel he is going to get his chance.”

Originally published as Taylor Marshall to ride in honour of his father in Group 1 Doncaster Mile