Grunt

O’Reilly (NZ) x Ruqqaya (NZ), by Van Nistelrooy (USA)
2014
16.2hh

FEE: TBC

FOUNDATION STALLION
GRUNT

From just a handful of runners to date, Grunt has already unearthed a stallion prospect of his own in the Yulong-bred Veight.

The brilliant juvenile became his sire’s first winner when bursting onto the scene with a six-length maiden win in February, before a dominant success in the Gr.2 Sires’ Produce S. at Flemington one month later. The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained colt looks destined for a big three-year-old campaign after a dominating win in the Gr. 3 McNeil Stakes.

With smart debuts from Rhythm Of Love, Our Cracklin Rosie and Akicita, and given the improvement that Grunt himself made from two to three, there is plenty of excitement around this young stallion as crops emerge from Yulong’s elite mares, and his oldest crop enter their classic year.

Purchased from the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$220,000 by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock and trainer Mick Price, Grunt himself made a quick impression on the track.

Having only the one two-year-old outing, placing third to eventual Gr.1 winner Aloisia, Grunt broke his maiden impressively at the beginning of his second campaign when starting a four-race winning streak. Showing his talent, his third victory was in the Gr.3 C S Hayes Stakes, defeating Cliff’s Edge and Embellish.

This campaign culminated with a tenacious victory in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas, in only his fifth career start.

Damien Oliver was effusive in his praise for Grunt post-victory, “he’s a magnificent specimen of a horse and he deserved a really strong Gr.1 win like that today.”

Grunt returned as a four-year-old to impressively win the Gr.1 Makybe Diva in 2018 by two lengths at Flemington, beating eight Gr.1 winners in the process.

Grunt retired with a Timeform rating of 123 as a four-year-old, ranking him as elite among his generation.

 

“An outstanding individual and brilliant 1600m horse. Grunt had an excellent temperament and I think he will make a great stallion,” said Mick Price.

Grunt’s first crop of yearlings were presented at the 2022 yearling sale and were immediately popular. At the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale they totalled an impressive $1,480,500. Five of the 15 offered made six figures and sold to leading trainers such as Ciaron Maher & David Eustace, Graeme Begg, Freedman Racing, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott and Danny O’Brien Racing. 

It was a similar story at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where Grunt’s progeny sold for an average of $104,000, again with multiple six figure results. Overall in 2022 Grunt’s yearlings sold for over three times his service fee.

Performance

Facts

Race record

Age
Runs
1st
2nd
3rd
Earned
2 1 1 $9,000
3 4 4 $728,250
4 7 1 $645,200
Totals 12 5 0 1 $1,382,450

at 2

3rd VRC Saintly Hall of Fame 2YO Trophy (1400m)

at 3

VRC Australian Guineas, Gr.1 (1600m)

CS Hayes S., Gr.3 (1400m)

SAJC Holdfast Insurance H. (1600m)

Werribee RC Winning Edge Presentations Maiden P. (1400m)

Timeform Rating: 122 (in 2017)

AT 4

VRC Makybe Diva S., Gr.1 (1600m)

Timeform Rating: 123 (in 2018)

Media

Grunt

Bred to Win
featuring Grunt

Grunt winning the 2018 G1 Makybe Diva S.

Grunt winning the 2018 G1 Australian Guineas

Pedigree

Grunt Brochure

News

Southport Tycoon - Australian Guineas CG
The G1 Australian Guineas was kept in local hands by Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) on Saturday. It was the Ciaron Maher-trained 3-year-old colt who emerged for a...
6 March 2024
aac_0965
It was 3-year-olds to the fore in the running of the G2 Australia S. at Moonee Valley, with the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained star Veight (Grunt {NZ})...
29 January 2024
Miraval Rose
Despite concerns from the Grahame Begg camp that Saturday’s ever downgrading surface at Caulfield would be against their classy filly Miraval Rose (Grunt {NZ}) in the Listed...
4 December 2023

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