The news that Michael Walker had retired officially from race riding brings down the curtain on the career of one of New Zealand's most talented horsemen.
A champion apprentice who broke the New Zealand record for number of wins in a season before becoming a senior rider, Walker retires the winner of more than 2000 races.
The first of his 25 Group 1 wins came aboard Smiling Like in the 2001 Wellington Cup, while he developed an uncanny knack to win Group 1 races at big prices while in Australia.
Among his eight Australian Group 1 wins were Caulfield Guineas victory aboard Mighty Boss at $101, Australian Cup success with Harlem at $61 and a Blue Diamond win on Tagaloa at $26.
The best horse he rode according to Timeform ratings was Criterion, a 127-rater, who Walker won a Caulfield Stakes on and placed in a Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup.
Walker battled injury for much of his career, with a fall at the Pakenham jumpouts last August the final straw, and below is a snapshot of his decorated career.
Career record: 15,581 rides, 2035 wins, 3372 placings.
Group 1 record: 360 rides, 25 wins, 52 placings.
First Group 1 win: Smiling Like – 2001 Wellington Cup.
Most Group 1 wins on a particular horse: 3 – Tit For Taat.
Highest-rated Timeform horse: Criterion (127).
Most wins on a particular horse: 6 – Comin' Through.
Most successful stables: Lindsay Park (186 wins), Mark Walker (113), Alan Sharrock (99).
Best strike-rate (20+ wins): Doug Haworth 33.8 percent (23 wins from 68 rides).
Most successful track (NZ): New Plymouth – 89 wins.
Most successful track (Aus): Cranbourne – 68 wins.
GROUP 1 WINNERS
Smiling Like: 2001 Wellington Cup
Grout: 2002 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes, Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes
Tit For Taat: 2002 Captain Cook Stakes, 2003 Telegraph Handicap, Waikato Sprint
Taatletail: 2003 NZ 1000 Guineas.
Danestorm: 2004 Brisbane Cup
Darci Brahma: 2005 NZ 2000 Guineas, 2006 Otaki WFA
Pentane: 2006 Auckland Cup
Insouciant: 2007 NZ 1000 Guineas
Young Centaur: 2008 Wellington Cup
Alamosa: 2008 Otaki WFA
Dane Julia: 2009 NZ Bloodstock Breeders Stakes
Military Move: 2010 NZ Derby
Puccini: 2014 NZ Derby
Spillway: 2015 Australian Cup
Criterion: 2015 Caulfield Stakes
Mighty Boss: 2017 Caulfield Guineas
Harlem: 2018 Australian Cup
Comin' Through: 2018 Doomben Cup
Tagaloa: 2020 Blue Diamond Stakes
Sherwood Forest: 2020 NZ Derby
Odeum: 2020 Thousand Guineas
