The Cambridge-based horseman was bestowed with his latest honour at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards in Auckland earlier this week and Baker was a proud recipient.
“It rates right up there with the Hall of Fame,” Baker said. “I was quite surprised to get it, but I knew something was up when I found out my family were all going to be there for the night.
“It’s an honour to get the award and it was special to have my daughter Reidun and her husband Dan come up from Martinborough, and Bjorn and his wife Andrea fly over from Sydney. It was great to have my old Aussie mate Brian Nutt there too.”
It’s no surprise Baker has made such an impact as he is a descendant of Henry Redwood, who is acknowledged as the father of New Zealand racing, having emigrated from England in 1842 and subsequently imported the influential stallion Sir Hercules (Ire).
Unraced, Sir Hercules produced Australian Derby winners The Barb and Yattendon and became New Zealand’s first and most notable sire.
Racing trailblazer
Redwood laid the foundation for the best bloodstock and was also a fine rider and trainer who prepared the winners of a host of feature domestic races. He is seen as the pioneer for crossing the Tasman to target Australia’s best races.
“I'm related to Henry Redwood, the founder of New Zealand racing, and he was in Nelson and my parents came from there so it’s all in the blood,” Baker said.
His earliest introduction to racing came with Harry Greene, who he used to work for before school.
“I started there when I was about 12. I had a pony and used to ride to the stable,” Baker said.
“I started there when I was about 12. I had a pony and used to ride to the stable.” - Murray Baker
“I always liked the horses and he was a very good trainer at the old Greenmeadows track that they closed about 1960.
“Harry was a brother to George, who trained at Takanini and had horses like Up And Coming, Sobig and Fountainhead. He had a lot of good ones.”
Murray's earliest introduction to racing came with Harry Greene
Baker graduated to riding trackwork and was associated in the early days with Embrace (Contact), a half-brother to Bart Cummings’ G1 Melbourne Cup winner Light Fingers (NZ) (Le Filou {Fr}).
Baker’s racing career was later put on hold when he pursued his love of cricket and as a leg spin bowler and middle order batsman he made his first-class debut for Central Districts as a 20-year-old.
Talented cricketer
He was a member of the Plunket Shield winning team in 1966-67 and 1967-68 and played alongside New Zealand test cricketers Bevan Congdon and Vic Pollard. Baker also played professionally in the Huddersfield League in England and enabled him to travel Europe.
“I was over there for three and a-half years and lived in England, Germany, Luxembourg and Sweden,” he said.
It was during this time that he met his Swedish-born wife Marianne.
“When we came back I worked for Ray Cotter, a legendary trainer at Te Rapa, before I started training at Awapuni,” Baker said.
Prior to Murray's successful racing career he was a talented cricketer
That was in the 1978-79 season and he subsequently became established at Woodville, then home to outstanding horsemen such as Noel Eales and Eric Ropiha.
“I couldn’t get the horses out of my system and I couldn’t really get in at Awapuni so I went to Woodville,” he said.
His first major training success came with his second horse Vizier (NZ) (Trophy Case {USA}), who in 1979 lowered the colours of the top-class Uncle Remus (NZ) (Bandmaster II {Ire}) in the Tom Rogers S. (now the Listed Ag Challenge S.) Baker later headed north.
“I moved to Cambridge in 2000 for more opportunities and it took off from there,” he said.
“I moved to Cambridge in 2000 for more opportunities and it took off from there.” – Murray Baker
That’s an understatement from the unassuming Baker, who is closing in on 1700 domestic wins and has had a string of top-class horses through his hands on the way to winning New Zealand Trainers’ Premierships and plundered more Group 1 wins – 21 – than any other New Zealand-based trainer.
He enjoyed a successful partnership with his now Warwick Farm-based son Bjorn, also a Group 1 winning trainer in his own right.
Murray with his son Bjorn
“Bjorn’s going well. He battled away to get his foot on the ladder,” Baker said.
On Bjorn’s departure to Sydney, he took Andrew Forsman into partnership in the 2102-13 season and they are now closing in on 700 winners and have more than a century of Group or Listed successes.
Among the quality gallopers Baker has been associated with are Eagle Eye (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}), The Phantom (NZ) (Noble Bijou {USA}), Dowry (NZ) (Bahhare {USA}), Prized Gem (Prized {USA}) and her son Nom du Jeu (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}), Harris Tweed (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}), Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home {GB}), Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), Mongolian Khan (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), Jon Snow (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}).
Gallery: Some of the quality gallopers Baker has been associated with
When pressed for which horse tops Baker’s hit parade, he gave that honour to Dundeel.
“He won six Group 1s in two years in Australia and all he was running in were Group races,” he said.
“He won six Group 1s in two years in Australia and all he was running in were Group races.” – Murray Baker
“He’s the only horse to win those four Group 1 3-year-old races in Sydney - the Spring Champion S., the Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby.
“Mongolian Khan would have to be one of the best. He got colitis after he won the Caulfield Cup and that was unfortunate.”
Dundeel (NZ)
Baker enjoys nothing more than assembling an annual assault on the premier distance races in Australia.
“I love going to Australia, the atmosphere is always electric. I do say that if you’ve got a staying horse with ability and the temperament you’re in with a chance,” he said. “With a sprinting horse it’s very, very hard to compete with them.
“You’ve got to get them there on the way up, that’s where the opportunities are and the prize-money is huge. “
In his early 70s, Baker has no thoughts of settling for a quieter way of life.
“I still love it and I’m always excited about going to Australia. Racing is a game of ups and downs, but it’s a way of life and I’ve really enjoyed my career and met a lot of nice people and had great support from owners,” he said.
“There’s always the enticement of getting back to Australia if we’ve got the right horses.”
Quality line-up
Baker and Forsman again have a team across the Tasman this year with Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}), already the winner of the G3 Ming Dynasty, The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel), Madison County (NZ) (Pins), Rhaegar (Puck {USA}) and Long Jack (So You Think {NZ}) in Melbourne.
Gallery: Some of the Murray Baker/Andrew Forsman trans-Tasman team
“We’ve started well, but it’s early days and the competition only gets tougher as you get into the carnivals,” Baker said.
“Madison County will resume in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. on Saturday week while The Chosen One is probably going to run in the Underwood S. next, which is a race I’ve won four times.
“Long Jack won his maiden at Ballarat on the Pro-Ride track and he’s a promising horse we think quite a lot of. Quick Thinker will run in the Gloaming next with Rhaegar.
“I feel very blessed and I’ve been training for a long time and enjoyed it all and I still am.”
