Racing: Mark Walker's on the pace in wins record

Mark Walker. Photo / Trish Dunell

Nine-time champion trainer Mark Walker is slightly ahead of the record-setting season achieved by Te Akau Racing in 2020/21.

When Jamie Richards eclipsed the previous record to establish a new benchmark of 160 domestic wins, he had 46 victories by the end of October, while Walker has 54.

After a decade of training for Te Akau in Singapore, where he won champion trainer honours four times, Walker returned to take up the reins again of their Matamata operation on April 1 while Richards was preparing to train in Hong Kong.

He has 20 horses stabled at Riccarton, and will be well represented there on Saturday, including nine in stakes races.

In the Group 1 2000 Guineas (1600m), a race Te Akau have won seven times, Dynastic heads the charge for Walker, along with Cognito and Malborough Bay.

"Dynastic, the wheels fell off at Matamata, but I think they were back on Te Rapa, and I reckon he'll like the mile at Riccarton," Walker said.

"Cognito has had a perfect prep and probably should have won last start, but just got too far back. Jason [Laking, jockey] would have learned from that and he's got a better draw [six] this time.

"Malborough Bay has had a lovely preparation but probably has to find a couple of lengths to be a top three chance."

Walker will have a three-pronged attack in the Pegasus Stakes (1000m) with Burgundy Rose, Challa and Aris Aris.

"Burgundy Rose is in career best form, but she's getting up in the weights now which her only problem," he said. "She's tiny and the old saying: weight can stop a train. But she's in fantastic form."

- NZ Racing Desk