Grunt (foaled 12 November 2014) is a retired

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse bred in New Zealand and trained in Australia. He won two

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

races, and over a million dollars.

Career

Grunt made his debut on 20 May 2017 at Flemington. Jumping at odds of $26, he finished third. After a long spell, Grunt broke his maiden at Werribee on 10 December. On the 26th, he had another "effortless" win at Morphetville. Trainer Mick Price said, "Grunt is a work in progress but is a really good horse. I think he’s a big Flemington horse. I can’t wait to get him to 2000 and 2400 (metres) but he is a colt so we’ll try to maximise value on him." A short spell followed before Grunt contested the

C S Hayes Stakes The C S Hayes Stakes is a Victoria Racing Club Group 3 Thoroughbred horse race for three year old colts and geldings, at set weights with penalties, over a distance of 1400 metres. It is held annually at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Austr ...

. Jumping at $7, he settled just off the pace before getting in the clear in the last 200 metres, winning by a short length. Jockey Damien Oliver said, "I really like the way he dug deep when I asked him." Grunt then won the million dollar

Australian Guineas The Australian Guineas is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds, run at set weights, over a distance of 1600 metres at Flemington Racecourse, in Melbourne, Australia in March during the VRC Autumn Racing Carni ...

by half a length after starting from the widest gate, with Mick Price then spelling him for almost 6 months. "I'm mindful that he's going to be a really good four-year-old. It wouldn't worry me if I had to put him out. He's not light, but he's not furnished yet," he said. Returning in the

P B Lawrence Stakes The P B Lawrence Stakes, registered as the J J Liston Stakes, is a Melbourne Racing Club Group 2 Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged three years old and upwards, over a distance of 1400 metres, held at Cau ...

on 18 August 2018, Grunt finished 5th, the first time he did not place in a race. Oliver said he ran out of condition at the end of the event. He then placed eighth in another race at Caulfield. Grunt's next race was back at Flemington, where he won the

Makybe Diva Stakes The Makybe Diva Stakes, previously called the Craiglee Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for age conditions for three year olds and older, over a distance of 1,600 metres held at Flemington Racecourse in M ...

at double figures. He sat in fifth, just off the pace, before taking the lead in the last 300 metres. Damien Oliver said, "I've always maintained to Mick he appreciates Flemington so much better, the big open track. And he showed that today." Price added, "He's at home in these Group 1 races. Low-resting heartrate, doesn't listen to anyone and just gets into the zone." In the next month he raced in two further Group 1 races, finishing well off the lead in both. After a 5 month spell, Grunt returned as top weight in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap, finishing sixth, and then fifth in the All-Star Mile, his last race.

Stud career

Grunt stood for stud for the first time in 2019, with a service fee of $13750.

References

{{Reflist 2014 racehorse births Racehorses bred in New Zealand Racehorses trained in Australia