Born on September 25, 1950, Stephen Howard Marshall started his racing career with Morcott, Rutland trainer Frank Gilman and held a National Hunt jockey’s licence for ten seasons between 1966/67 and 1975/76. Tall for a jockey, he had on average around a dozen rides each season and rode a total of five winners.
Steve rode his first winner on Proud Paul in a professional novice riders’ hurdle at Southwell’s Easter meeting on April 3, 1969. His second came at that same Southwell Easter fixture three years later on handicap hurdler Sea Empress, as did his third, on selling hurdler Fionian, at the corresponding meeting twelve months later. All three were trained by Gilman.
During the mid-1970s, Steve rode for permit holder Arthur Hackett, who trained initially at Cheltenham and then at Ratcliffe on the Wreake, near Leicester. He rode two winners for him, both in novice hurdlers, on Brockley Hill in the Weaver Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Uttoxeter in October 1974 and Master Melody in the Eakring Novices’ Hurdle (Division 2) at Southwell in December 1975.
Steve had two more rides on Brockley Hill, the second of which, a fourth place in the Panama Cigar Hurdle (qualifier) at Warwick on January 17, 1976, was his final ride.
Steve became head lad to Frank Gilman and enjoyed by far his greatest moment when Gilman’s ex-hunter chaser Grittar won the 1982 Grand National in the hands of Dick Saunders.
Outside of racing, Steve enjoyed numerous show-jumping successes, while his recreations included breeding terriers.
Steve Marshall’s winners were, in chronological order
1. Proud Paul, Southwell, April 3, 1969
2. Sea Empress, Southwell, March 30, 1972
3. Fionian, Southwell, April 19, 1973
4. Brockley Hill, Uttoxeter, October 12, 1974
5. Master Melody, Southwell, December 1, 1975