Murray Baker (born 21 April 1946) is a New Zealand thoroughbred racehorse trainer and former New Zealand

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er.

Cricket

Baker played in one

List A List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket, with games lasting up to eight hours. List A cricket includes One Day International (ODI) matches and various domestic competitions in which the numbe ...

and seventeen first-class matches for Central Districts and Northern Districts from 1966 to 1975. Baker was part of the team who won the Plunket Shield and played for Huddersfield in England.

Horse training

Baker started training at Woodville in the 1970s. His first raceday winner was Vizier on October 4 1978, at Otaki. Another early winner was Sir Vigilant in the 1985 New Zealand St. Leger. In 2000 Murray moved his training operation to Cambridge. He has trained in partnership with: * his son, Bjorn Baker, who later moved to set up stables of his own at

Warwick Farm Racecourse Warwick Farm Racecourse is a racecourse at Warwick Farm, a south-west suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used as a racecourse for Thoroughbred horse racing. The racecourse is owned and operated by the Australian Turf Club. Hist ...

in Sydney, Australia. * Andrew Forsman. Murray has won many major races on both sides of the Tasman with leading horses such as: * Bonneval, twice

New Zealand Horse of the Year There is a New Zealand horse of the year in each of the racing codes: - Standardbred or harness racing, either pacers or trotters, and - Thoroughbred racing or gallopers. Harness Horse of the Year The New Zealand Harness Horse of the Year award ...

, winner of the 2017

Australian Oaks The Australian Oaks is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three year old fillies at set weights run over a distance of 2,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in the autumn during the ATC Championships series. The Aust ...

, Feehan Stakes, New Zealand Oaks and Underwood Stakes * Dal Cielo, winner of the 2015

Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes The Ellerslie Sires Produce Stakes, currently known as the Sistema Stakes, is a Group One horse race for Thoroughbred two-year-olds held at Ellerslie Racecourse. Run over 1200 metres in Auckland Cup Week in March, it is regarded as one of New ...

Dundeel Dundeel, or It’s a Dundeel as he is known in Australia, is a champion New Zealand Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the fifth and most recent winner of the Australian Triple Crown. Background Dundeel is a bay colt trained by Murray Baker and An ...

, winner of the

Australian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing The Australian Triple Crown is a three-race competition for thoroughbred racehorses. The Australian Triple Crown consists of the Randwick Guineas (1600 metres) (previously the Canterbury Guineas), the Rosehill Guineas (2000m), and the Australian D ...

* Harris Tweed, winner of the 2009 Tulloch Stakes and 2010 The Bart Cummings, placed 2nd in the 2009

AJC Derby AJC may refer to: * Agreement on Journey Continuation, an agreement between European rail operators to allow passengers in case of a missed connection * Allen Jack+Cottier (AJ+C), an architectural practice * American Jewish Committee, an advocacy g ...

and 2010 Caulfield Cup * Jon Snow, winner of the 2017 Australian Derby * Lickety Split, winner of the 2022 Sistema Stakes * Lion Tamer, winner of the 2010 Victoria Derby. * Lizzie L’Amour, winner of the 2018 Herbie Dyke Stakes *

Mongolian Khan Mongolian Khan (foaled 19 October 2011) is a retired Australian-bred New Zealand-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2015 he won the 140th running of the New Zealand Derby before going on to win the Australian Derby becoming the first horse to com ...

, winner of the 2015 New Zealand Derby,

and Caulfield Cup * My Eagle Eye, winner of the 1992 Sydney Cup * Nom Du Jeu, winner of the 2008

* Quick Thinker, winner of the 2019 Ming Dynasty Quality Handicap, 2020 Australian Derby & Tulloch Stakes and 2021 Chairman's Handicap (ATC) * Stolen Dance, winner of the 2018 Thorndon Mile * The Phantom (horse), The Phantom,winner of the 1990 Memsie Stakes and Underwood Stakes. Placed 3rd in the 1989 Caulfield Cup and 2nd in the 1990 Melbourne Cup * The Chosen One, winner of the 2022 Thorndon Mile * Turn Me Loose (horse), Turn Me Loose, winner of the 2014 New Zealand 2000 Guineas, 2015 Crystal Mile, Seymour Cup, Emirates Stakes and 2016 Futurity Stakes (MRC) * Vin De Dance, winner of the 2018 New Zealand Derby Murray retired from training in May 2022. During his career he had accumulated: * over 1800 New Zealand winners. * approximately 60 winners in Australia. * 270 stakes and group race wins (including 48 in Australia). * 57 Group One wins (including 22 in Australia). * 9 Derbies and 5 Oaks victories. * 4 New Zealand training premierships. * 5 New Zealand trainer of the year awards. Murray is a member of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

References

External links

*
Baker Racing - Cambridge New Zealand

Decorated trainer was born to be wildly successful

MURRAY BAKER INDUCTED INTO THE NEW ZEALAND RACING HALL OF FAME

People A-G , NZ Racing Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Murray 1946 births Living people New Zealand cricketers Central Districts cricketers Northern Districts cricketers Cricketers from Napier, New Zealand New Zealand racehorse trainers New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame inductees

Cricket

Horse training

See also

References

External links