Racing: Change to boxes a sign of the times as land becomes more expensive

By MIKE DILLON

Murray Baker watched Mucho win a maiden 2-year-old race at Ellerslie over the cup carnival in December and shook his head.

"What have I been doing wrong," he said quietly to himself. The astute Cambridge trainer had been through a lean period.

"I'm eating the wallpaper off the walls," he said.

It's an old racing catchphrase to point out you're not exactly having champagne on your cornflakes.

It's never literal and it wasn't even accurate, but Baker had been experiencing a frustrating absence of winners by his high standards.

In the last four weeks, winners have flooded out of the Baker barn.

"I thought I must have been doing something wrong," said Baker frankly at this week's Cambridge barrier trials. "I was doubting myself."

One of racing's greatest trainers, Dave O'Sullivan, had one piece of advice for young trainers starting out: 'No matter how bad things are going, never change your methods'.

Baker didn't and he's pleased.

When the Zabeel-Preiur Way filly named Dominique won the $30,000 special maiden race at New Plymouth on Saturday, Baker looked on her as one of many who are going to make a name for herself from his stable.

"As a 4-year-old she should really shine through."

He has a similar opinion of Grace And Favour.

"She's more of a staying type, who might take just a bit longer."

When Baker moved from Woodville to Cambridge a little more than three years ago, he had to change his training methods from the traditional farm and stable scenario where horses go into a paddock every day; to the overseas method of having them box trained.

Given the advantage New Zealand has with its magnificent pasture, that is a quantum leap, but it does work.

"It works in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore, there's never been a reason why it wouldn't work here."

In a few weeks Matamata's Roger James moves to the property next to Baker's at Cambridge and will apply similar training methods.

There is a bit of tweaking to do to accommodate box training, but nothing major.

"You probably don't work them quite as hard and you probably cut out a bit of grain from their feed, but I'm not that sure even that is a absolutely true."

As good as Baker feels about the run he is having right now, the former topline cricketer knows it is never going to be easy.

"When I was in the CD I trained a lot of winners. I landed 66 wins one season, 56 another - it's probably not going to get back to that.

"It's much more competitive here in the north."

Baker has 10 acres away from his stable block and grows chicory.

"It's a green crop and we harvest it every day to feed the horses to keep their bulk up.

"We cut a ute-load of it every day and they're fed it morning and night.

"The horses go on the walker every afternoon then go back to their boxes."

It is the way of the future as land becomes beyond the means of young trainers trying to set themselves up.

"Racing clubs are building stables for young trainers and it's a boxed situation.

"It's a matter of doing things slightly different than the traditional way in New Zealand. In Cambridge here, for example, there is access to ample spelling properties to give your horse a freshener away from the stable."

Baker was delighted that riding Dominique was Grant Cooksley.

"Grant and I have had a great association, including three group one wins in Australia."