Alkane Resources ALK.AX, top gainer on the sub-index, climbed 4.7%. By Poonam Behura April 26 (Reuters) - Australian shares closed marginally lower on Wednesday, with losses in mining stocks outweighing gains in gold and energy explorers as the country's soft March quarter inflation data failed to improve risk appetite. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed inflation eased from the 33-year highs in the first quarter as the cost of living saw the smallest rise in more than a year.