Mark's Choice

His overall record of 5 wins and 14 places from 39 races — winning roughly 1 in every 8 — tells the story of a horse that has found his niche. He is not a top-level performer; his career earnings suggest a Class 4 regular, which is a solid but unspectacular tier of racing. But at Ripon, something switches on. Trainer Gemma Tutty, who is based in Osmotherley in North Yorkshire and has sent out 20 winners already this season, puts it simply: he does not do a great deal at home, but he arrives at Ripon and comes alive. That kind of track-specific transformation is rare, and it is exactly what makes horses like this so beloved.

On normal ground he wins roughly 1 in every 4 races — 4 from 17 — which is a strong return for a horse at this level. His recent form reads 3-4-2-6-15-1, showing a bad run followed by an immediate bounce-back win. That latest victory came at Ripon in September 2025, and he raced just yesterday, suggesting he is in good enough shape to keep going at ten years old. Regular jockey William Pyle has partnered him in 8 races together, winning once — the pair are still building their best.

What makes this horse genuinely special is the cultural stamp he has left on his favourite track. Ripon is naming a race after him this year, and Tutty has him entered in a memorial race at the course this Friday — giving him the chance to win a race that essentially celebrates his own career while he is still running in it. That almost never happens. Whether he adds to his nine wins there or not, Mark's Choice has already earned something most racehorses never do: a permanent place in one track's story.