Can anything derail the Baillie Gifford train? After long-term solid outperformance 27 Investment trends tend to follow cycles. The same can be said when it comes to the fortunes of fund houses. In recent years, investors have seen the likes of Fidelity, Invesco and M&G all become go-to groups amid strong performance and the work of “star” managers like Antony Bolton, Neil Woodford and Richard Woolnough. Investors may be understandably weary to back the winning horse, particularly after such a long period of coming first. The past few years have seen funds previously touted as “the” funds in which to be invested drop masses in terms of size. Take Woodford Investment Management’s fall from grace in 2019, and Aberdeen Standard Investment’s Global Absolute Return Strategies fund (otherwise known as Gars) has plummeted from more than £20bn this time three years ago, to just shy of £3bn today.