With that deal the winning feeling returned and in March 2006 he producing a perfectly timed ride on Pentane to win New Zealand's richest handicap, the Auckland Cup. On 20 May 2008 Walker was seriously injured while pig hunting in Taranaki when he fell down a 10-metre high bank. He was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital and then transferred to Auckland City Hospital with serious head injuries. He scored a win in only his second ride after his accident, at Matamata on 4 December 2008. The following are some of the major races Michael has won in New Zealand and Australia.