Racing: First training success

Megan Marr, with Elleaye after success at Wingatui yesterday. Photo by Tayler Strong.
Megan Marr, with Elleaye after success at Wingatui yesterday. Photo by Tayler Strong.
Megan Marr had her first win as a trainer in her own right at Wingatui yesterday with Elleaye, who has helped her through a marriage breakup in the past eight months.

Marr saddled numerous winners as the wife of Riccarton trainer, Shane Marr. They separated and he took a position as foreman with the Sydney stable of Bjorn Baker seven months ago. They had been married for 16 years.

The Marrs had won 117 races in 10 years of training with their best performer Ombre Rose, winner of the Warstep Stakes, South Island Breeders' Stakes and New Zealand Bloodstock Stakes at Riccarton.

"This horse [Elleaye] has helped me through a lot," Megan said.

"And it is great to come back and win a race at Wingatui."

Megan (37), nee Biddulph, worked for Wingatui trainer Brian Anderton after she left school. Her brother, Jason, rode jumpers for the Anderton stable.

"I learned a lot from Brian," Megan said.

She also did a farm management degree at Lincoln College and became a stock agent before spending fours years in Japan riding track work.

Megan is shifting to Melbourne with her daughters, Cassidy (11) and Charlotte (7), to take up a position as track work rider for Peter Moody at the end of the month.

Elleaye, a 3yr-old gelding by Towkay-Auxerre having his third start, has not been an easy horse to train.

"We had him sold but he has a deformed windpipe. He also been a buckjumper," she said.

He is held on lease from Little Avondale Stud.

"We trained his mother and bought his half-brother at the sales but he broke a knee and Little Avondale offered us this one," she said.

Parvesh Shaikh
Parvesh Shaikh
• Parvesh Shaikh had his first win as a rider yesterday, five days after he began race riding.

Shaikh (23) won on Night Life, trained by his employer, Yaldhurst trainer Michael Pitman. He was having his second ride.

Shaikh has been with the Pitman stable for 12 months.

He has ridden work in India, England and Australia.

• Kylie Williams was suspended from Sunday until midnight on April 26 for careless riding yesterday. She admitted shifting in and causing a check to Split Decision at the 1400m in race 6 when riding Moonlighting.

 

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