Like so many, Mark’s “rapid rise” has been decades in the making. Starting at the age of 15 as a strapper, to apprentice and then as a jockey with over 300 wins. Mark learnt from the best with a long stint in the stables of the legendary Bart Cummings and as a foreman for Gai Waterhouse before quickly making his mark as a trainer in his own right.

Mark’s trump card can be seen as the fact that he still rides his own horses in work and key gallops, which gives him a unique insight into the horse itself. He already has 4 Group 1 wins to his name in his short 5-year training career, and we are sure they will keep on coming. Mark has been patiently waiting for Cool Jakey to mature, but as a son of champion sire Pierro, he is well-versed in allowing the progeny to develop in their own time. Watch his trainer pitch below