Simon Marshall
Champion Jockey, Media Commentator & Motivational Speaker
Simon Marshall rose to the top of Australian racing — and fought every kilogram to stay there. A champion jockey turned media personality and motivational speaker, he delivers a powerful, humorous and deeply human story of resilience under pressure.
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Simon Marshall is a retired champion jockey, respected racing commentator and highly engaging motivational speaker.
Widely regarded as Australia’s premier weight-for-age jockey in the early to mid-1990s, Simon rode 15 Group 1 winners during his illustrious career. Partnering with champions including Super Impose, Naturalism, Better Loosen Up, Hareeba, Poetic King, Mahogany and Mannerism, he was recognised as one of the finest tacticians in Australian racing. With more than 700 career wins and a remarkable metropolitan strike rate of 28.6% — the highest of any jockey in recent history — Simon was at the peak of his profession.
Behind the success, however, was a constant and exhausting battle with weight. From the age of 14, dieting became a way of life. Simon would fast, spend days in saunas and push his body to extreme limits simply to make race weight. Time and again, he rose above physical pain and mental strain to perform under pressure on race day.
Years of punishing weight control eventually took their toll, and in 1997 Simon collapsed in the jockeys’ room at Caulfield, forcing his retirement. Yet adversity did not define him. In 2002, driven by unfinished business, Simon made a remarkable comeback — losing 14 kilograms through disciplined bio-chemical management and returning to the saddle for two wins from just three rides.
Since retiring from racing, Simon has built a successful media career, becoming a regular television and radio commentator known for his sharp insight, humour and candid storytelling. He has appeared on Channel 7’s Spring Carnival coverage alongside Bruce McAvaney and Richard Freedman, contributed to Seven’s AFL coverage, and was part of Channel 7’s commentary team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He has also hosted Hold Ya Horses on SEN 1116 and been a key racing voice on Triple M.
Today, Simon shares his powerful story with corporate audiences across Australia. Blending humour with honesty, he speaks about resilience, discipline, high performance under pressure and the hidden cost of chasing success. His authenticity and wit make him both entertaining and deeply relatable.
Simon is also a proud Ambassador for the Fight Cancer Foundation.
