When cricket was spoken at Meydan
dubai — New Zealand-born Australian trainer Bjorn Baker is making his maiden foray at the Dubai World Cup with Music Magnate entered in the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint.
And Baker is hoping that if things go well in the race to be run over six furlongs, he can have the bragging rights over his father, top New Zealand trainer Murray Baker.
But Baker has won the bragging rights as far as cricket is concerned. Baker has spent six seasons on the Australian horse racing scene but cricket has made him switch loyalties. There was a bit of light-hearted banter between a media personnel, Baker and the interviewer, the seasoned Rupert Bell, the brother of Big Orange trainer Michael Bell.
Moments after his introductory lines, the media person said: “It shows you how democratic we are in Australia that we let a Kiwi come and represent us on the top stage of world racing,”
And Baker replied in jest. “The classification especially after the recent cricket results, I would prefer to be known as an Australia-Asian representative. And New Zealand are going pretty good, we are beating England as well,” quipped Baker.
Australia are in the midst of an acrimonious Test series against South Africa, where they have their backs to the wall. They are 2-1 down in the four-Test series, which has seen one controversy after another.
Baker’s reply drew a dry sense of humour from Bell, who said: “You sure, they weren’t tampering with the ball because I’m sure we were not expected to lose. Out for 58. But then, we are not here to talk about the cricket.”
Bell was referring to the ball tampering issue during the Cape Town Test, which Australia lost by 322 runs and saw Australian captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner step down from their roles.
He was also referring to England folding up for a paltry 58 in the first innings against New Zealand in the first Test at Auckland, which they went on to lose by an innings and 49 runs.
Staying on bragging rights, Baker said he would like to get one-up over his dad.
“I was in partnership with my father for three years and I’ve been in Australia on my own and this is my sixth season. And we are fairly competitive. He’s got half a dozen horses at my place at the moment, for the Sydney Carnival and I just want to say to him if I can win, I’m the only truly international trainer in the family,” said Baker, who had come to watch the Dubai World Cup as a tourist in 2007.