George Baker (jockey)
| George Baker | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | St Leger (2016) Prix du Cadran (2016) |
| Significant horses | |
| Harbour Law, Premio Loco, Seal of Approval | |
George Baker is a retired British Classic-winning jockey.
Baker is the son of a
Over the next few years, Baker built a very successful partnership with top miler Premio Loco, trained by Chris Wall. On that horse, he won two British Listed races, and two European Group 2s in 2009. In 2010, he added the Group 2 Summer Mile Stakes; in 2011, another Group 2 at Doncaster; then, in 2012, the Winter Derby, a Swedish Group 3, and the Celebration Mile.[2] Other big victories for Baker during this period included Group races on Bated Breath and Mull of Killough. He reached a century of victories in 2008 and 2010, and was runner-up in the 2010/11 all-weather championship season with 47 victories, six behind the champion Luke Morris.[1]
In a bizarre turn of events at Leicester on 23 August 2011, George Baker (jockey), rode (and won) on George Baker (a horse), trained by George Baker (trainer).[4]
On Champions Day 2013, Baker won his first Group 1 - the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes on Seal Of Approval for James Fanshawe, a horse on which he had previously won a Listed race at Newbury.[2] The victory helped him break the £1 million prize money mark for the first time.[1]
Big
Baker's most successful season in prize money terms was 2016, when he won his first Classic, the
His career was abruptly ended in February 2017 by a serious fall at
His career total was 1,364 winners, including more than 100 in a year on six occasions, from 10,188 rides, for a total of £11,834,440 in prize money. He also rode 2,290 places. The trainer he rode most wins for was Gary Moore (200).[6]
He has a wife Nicola and daughter Isabella.[3]
Statistics by season
| Year | Wins | Runs | Strike rate | Total earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2 | 38 | 5 | £6,446 |
| 2000 | 55 | 621 | 9 | £321,814 |
| 2001 | 23 | 546 | 4 | £215,869 |
| 2002 | 23 | 276 | 8 | £162,488 |
| 2003 | 26 | 315 | 8 | £167,723 |
| 2004 | 40 | 406 | 10 | £226,934 |
| 2005 | 71 | 614 | 12 | £435,685 |
| 2006 | 70 | 508 | 14 | £563,223 |
| 2007 | 75 | 595 | 13 | £504,434 |
| 2008 | 115 | 684 | 17 | £685,578 |
| 2009 | 71 | 629 | 11 | £694,980 |
| 2010 | 102 | 693 | 15 | £642,171 |
| 2011 | 76 | 584 | 13 | £613,723 |
| 2012 | 85 | 628 | 14 | £718,060 |
| 2013 | 109 | 716 | 15 | £1,060,506 |
| 2014 | 162 | 826 | 20 | £1,645,265 |
| 2015 | 123 | 697 | 18 | £1,339,627 |
| 2016 | 114 | 683 | 17 | £1,703,055 |
| 2017 | 22 | 129 | 17 | £126,859 |
Major wins
Great Britain
- British Champions Fillies' and Mares' Stakes - Seal of Approval(2013)
- St Leger Stakes - Harbour Law (2016)
France
- Prix du Cadran - Quest For More (2016)
Ireland
- Pretty Polly Stakes - Thistle Bird (2014)
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Jockey: George Baker". All Weather Championships. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Profile: Jockey: George Baker - Stats". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ a b c d Dench, Graham (3 November 2017). "Baker announces he will not ride again but hopes to stay in racing". Racing Post. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
- ^ Ashforth, David (25 January 2017). "Why is George Baker not riding George Baker?". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ Wood, Greg (11 September 2017). "Jockey George Baker glad to be 'released into the wild' after head injury in fall". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- ^ a b Down, Alistair (3 November 2017). "George Baker opens up to Alastair Down about his enforced retirement". Racing Post. Retrieved 4 November 2017.