Lloyd Marshall, who passed away in Bangalore on Monday, belonged to the old school of jockeys who showed a lot of commitment to the profession in terms of discipline and putting in long hours of work. Lloyd was an asset to the stable he worked with for he was totally involved in the preparation of horses for specific targets and proved invaluable in terms of his feedback. He was laid low by cancer more than a decade ago but fought back and was seen in regular action till a few years ago. The death of the well mannered Lloyd Marshall is indeed a great loss to Indian racing. At 58, he was not too old to die.

Lloyd was more famous for his association with the all conquering Chaitanya Chakram whom he rode in his inimitable style. He was comfortable while dictating the pace, doing the entire running and then exploiting the horse to the fullest. He won the Indian Derby on Chakram in the hardest way against all expectations as local challenger Capricorn was perceived unbeatable. Though Capricorn put up a stiff fight and looked like collaring Chakram, the latter pulled out that bit extra to win in front of an unbelieving Mumbai crowd. It is not that Lloyd’s exploits were restricted to his winning the Indian Derby and Invitation Cup on Chakram. He also made full use of a chance ride on Dr Ramaswamy’s late purchase Own Beauty to shock everyone in the Invitation Cup held at Hyderabad with aggressive front running tactics which saw the filly swamp the field.

Lloyd was a gentleman and respected everyone he came across. Unlike most present day jockeys who believe that they are god’s gift to the sport and think that they are above criticism, Lloyd was a person who respected all opinions, showed healthy respect to authorities and criticism. Trainer Jaggy Dhariwal and Lloyd Marshall were a formidable combination though ironically it was Lloyd’s loss on Chakram in the Bangalore Maharaja’s Cup which led to their parting of ways.

Lloyd went as was his wont on a start to finish mission on Chakram with the colt carrying 65 kgs on his back but was beaten close home by Azhar who was receiving plenty of weight from the champion. Lloyd was instructed to ride Chakram differently but the champion who was used to dominate everyone from the word 'go’ perhaps could not be restrained that led to his eventual defeat. Though Lloyd rode subsequent to that defeat, he was not the preferred jockey for Dhariwal. ''More than anything, Lloyd was a good soul and achieved success by his commitment and dedication. He may not have had the skills of a top jockey but he overcame his shortcomings with hard work,’’ Dhariwal said in his condolence message.

I personally knew Lloyd and he came across as a person who never took offence even if he had been strongly criticized for a ride. He respected everyone. He belonged to the rare school of jockeys, the likes of whom we don’t get to see these days. He was not flamboyant but yet was an achiever in his own quite, unobtrusive manner. He was ambitious but not greedy. When he was in his twilight days, he rode briefly for Neil Darashah and helped the budding trainer with his inputs.

President of Jockeys Association of India Pradeep Chouhan said: ''Lloyd Marshall was a good person and ever willing to help with his inputs. His death is a great loss to the jockey fraternity.’’

Lloyd’s elder brother Sinclair Marshall is currently working at Bangalore Turf Club as an official.