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

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

er.

Cricket

Baker played in one

List A List A cricket is a classification of the Limited overs cricket, 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 competit ...

and seventeen first-class matches for

Central Districts The Central Stags, formerly known as Central Districts, are a first-class cricket team based in central New Zealand. They are the men's representative side of the Central Districts Cricket Association. They compete in the Plunket Shield firs ...

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, New South Wales, 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 ...

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, 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 Aus ...

, Feehan Stakes,

New Zealand Oaks The New Zealand Oaks is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies run at set weights over a distance of 2400 metres ( miles) on the third Saturday of March every year at Trentham Racecourse in Wellington, New Zealand. It was ru ...

and

Underwood Stakes The Underwood Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race, run over 1800 metres under weight-for-age conditions, held at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in late September each year. Total prize money ...

* 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 on Champions Day in March, it is regarded as one of New Zealan ...

* Dundeel, winner of the Australian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Harris Tweed, winner of the 2009 Tulloch Stakes and 2010

The Bart Cummings The Bart Cummings is a Victoria Racing Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race quality handicap, over a distance of 2500 metres. It is held annually at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia in early October. The total prize money is A$500,000. ...

, placed 2nd in the 2009

AJC Derby The Australian Derby is an Australian Turf Club Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April, during the Autumn Australian Turf Club, ATC Championships Carniv ...

and 2010

Caulfield Cup The Caulfield Cup is a Melbourne Racing Club Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under Handicap (horse racing), handicap conditions. This is for all horses aged three years old and older. It takes place over a distance of 2400 met ...

* Jon Snow, winner of the 2017

Australian Derby The Australian Derby is an Australian Turf Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds at set weights held at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Australia in April, during the Autumn ATC Championships Carnival. The race is considered to b ...

* Lickety Split, winner of the 2022 Sistema Stakes * Lion Tamer, winner of the 2010

Victoria Derby The Victoria Derby, also known as the Penfolds Victoria Derby, is a Victoria Racing Club Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held under Set Weights conditions over a distance of 2,500 metres at Flemington Racecourse ...

. * Lizzie L’Amour, winner of the 2018 Herbie Dyke Stakes * Mongolian Khan, winner of the 2015

New Zealand Derby The New Zealand Derby is a set-weights Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run over a distance of 2,400 metres (12 furlongs) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, New Zealand. It is held in March each year. History The New Zealand Derby i ...

and

* My Eagle Eye, winner of the 1992

Sydney Cup The Sydney Cup is an Australian Turf Club Group One, Group 1 Thoroughbred handicap horse race, for horses three years old and older, run over 3200 metres at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia in the autumn during the ATC Championships series ...

* Nom Du Jeu, winner of the 2008

* Quick Thinker, winner of the 2019 Ming Dynasty Quality Handicap, 2020

& Tulloch Stakes and 2021 Chairman's Handicap (ATC) * Stolen Dance, winner of the 2018 Thorndon Mile *

The Phantom ''The Phantom'' is an American adventure comic strip, first published by Lee Falk in February 1936. The main character, the Phantom, is a fictional costumed crime-fighter who operates from the fictional African country of Bangalla. The char ...

,winner of the 1990

Memsie Stakes The Memsie Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1400 metres. It is held at Caulfield Racecourse, Melbourne, Australi ...

and

. Placed 3rd in the 1989

and 2nd in the 1990

Melbourne Cup The Melbourne Cup is an annual Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race held in Melbourne, Australia, at the Flemington Racecourse. It is a 3200-metre race for three-year-olds and older, conducted by the Victoria Racing Club that forms part of the ...

* The Chosen One, winner of the 2022 Thorndon Mile * Turn Me Loose, winner of the 2014

New Zealand 2000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas is a Group One set-weight Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of 1600 metres at Riccarton Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch New Zealand cup week The New Zealand 2000 Guineas is hel ...

, 2015 Crystal Mile, Seymour Cup,

Emirates Stakes The VRC Champions Mile, registered as the ''Cantala Stakes'', is a Group 1 Victoria Racing Club quality handicap Thoroughbred horse race run over 1,600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia on the fourth and last day during the ...

and 2016

Futurity Stakes (MRC) The Futurity Stakes is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 1 weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, over a distance of 1400 metres held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia, in late February. Total prize ...

* Vin De Dance, winner of the 2018

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 The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame recognises and honours those whose achievements have enriched the New Zealand thoroughbred horse racing industry. History The Hall of Fame's first group of honorees were inducted in 2006, and inductions are h ...

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