 | An editor has determined that sufficient sources exist to establish the subject's notability.(December 2025) |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Horse trainer |
| Horse racing career | |
| Sport | Horse racing |
Mark Walker is a leading thoroughbred horse racing trainer in New Zealand and Australia and previously in Singapore. He has won the trainer's premiership eight times in New Zealand plus four times in Singapore.
Walker grew up on a dairy farm in Rahotu. He joined the Opunake Pony Club and competed in show-jumping and eventing.
After leaving school, Walker joined Te Akau Racing and worked his way up to be the head trainer.
Walker won the New Zealand trainers premiership for the first time in the 2003/04 season when he was 31 years old, the youngest to ever do so. This record was later beaten by his Te Akau replacement, Jamie Richards, as a 30 year old. [1] Between the 2003/04 and 2009/10 seasons Walker won the New Zealand premiership five times:
He was 3rd in the 2004/05 season with 62 wins behind Graeme Rogerson & Stephen Autridge (83 wins) and Michael Pitman (68 wins). In the 2007/08 season he was 2nd with 84 wins behind Michael Pitman (86 wins) with Mike & Paul Moroney 3rd on 73 wins.
In 2010, Walker departed New Zealand to set up Te Akau's racing stables at Kranji racecourse in Singapore. [3] While he was there he won the Singapore premiership four times: [4]
In 2022, Walker returned to Te Akau's New Zealand operation to replace Jamie Richards, who had moved to Hong Kong. [5] In the 2022/23 season Mark Walker won the New Zealand trainers premiership again with 203 winners including 33 Group and listed races. [6]
Walker set up a Te Akau stable at Cranbourne in Melbourne. Australia. [7] [8]
With commitments either side of the Tasman, Mark was joined in partnership by Sam Bergerson in the 2023. [9] The partnership went on to win the premiership in the following seasons: [10]
Mark Walker recorded his 1000th New Zealand win in 2022. In September 2024, Walker achieved another notable milestone when Age of Discovery won the Rangiora New World Guineas Trial (1400m) at Riccarton. The win was victory number 2000 for Walker in his career, made up up of 1279 wins in New Zealand, 684 in Singapore and 37 in Australia. [11]
Notable horses Walker has trained or co-trained include: