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'I've been lucky to train a Royal Ascot winner - but I'd swap it for one at Cheltenham'
Catherine Macrae talks to a jetsetting trainer with a remarkable path into racing
It is every interviewer's dream to meet a trainer as accommodating as George Baker.
"Welcome to the madness," he says cheerfully, weaving his way through dogs and people into the relative calm of his office at Robins Farm. "I know what you've got to do. We can sit and chat here but you might go home and think, 'Oh, that wasn't quite as exciting as I'd have liked', so we'll head out to the gallops after and you can add a bit of colour."
If there is a sense that Baker could do my job for me, it is because he probably could. The 57-year-old ex-journalist has charted a somewhat unconventional path into the training ranks, underpinned by a sense of adventure that he brings to the job.
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Published on inInterviews
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- It's been a quarter of a century since we started - here's how we've seen the sport we love change
- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’