Grundys Sprinting To The Top

Consistency is a factor which features heavily through the great breeding and racing operations. Coolmore's graduates have passed under many unerring eyes before they reach those of Aidan O'Brien, whilst the thoughtful tutelage of Alain de Royer-Dupre has only continued the work of nurturing the Aga Khan's stock further up the line.

The virtues of patience and pragmatism also seem to exist between a far smaller partnership between trainer James Fanshawe and the husband-and-wife team of Ken and Elizabeth Grundy, which has now delivered a succession of high-class sprinters.

The latest, The Tin Man (GB) (Equiano {Fr}), is attempting to win his second G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. in four tries, but the Grundys have been involved with other top-quality performers including Frizzante (GB) (Efisio {GB}), Zidane (GB) (Danzero {Aus}) and Deacon Blues (GB) (Compton Place {GB}). All from just 50 acres of Hertfordshire countryside.

“We started with a joint ownership with Peter and Jan Hopper in Juliet Bravo (GB) (Glow), who produced the July Cup winner Frizzante. We had a stake in the mare and I did all the looking after and the foaling with the likes of Zidane and Colonel Mustard, and that's what got me completely hooked,” Elizabeth Grundy explains.

Persario (GB) (Bishop Of Cashel {GB}), who was to become the dam of The Tin Man and Deacon Blues, was already in the Fanshawe yard for owner-breeder Christine Handscombe.

“We had Frizzante in training with James and he knew I was keen on breeding; we have the set-up here,” she continues. “The Handscombes had quite a lot of horses in training with James, like (Persario's half-brother) Warningford (GB) (Warning {GB}). James said they didn't want to sell Persario but would I be interested in having her to breed from, which I was. I met the Handscombes, took three of their mares in fact, as well as Persario.”

It should be emphasised that the business, in the village of Benington, is not some easy, hands-free retirement project. They manage with very little outside help, also keeping cattle and sheep on the very farm where Elizabeth Grundy grew up.

Only Martin Percival's Boyce Bloodstock offers some advice with the matings and Julian Dollar has consigned the progeny of their four-strong broodmare band under Newsells Park Stud as well as taking charge of the odd boisterous colt for them.

“A couple of old pensioners, that's what we are,” she says self-effacingly. “My husband is nearly 75, we still do the mucking out. Believe me, it's hard work.”

This area, not far from Stevenage, has become such a thriving Thoroughbred territory that Elizabeth Grundy says Fanshawe has christened them 'the Hertfordshire Mafia'. Colin and Melba Bryce's Laundry Cottage Stud is nearby and Philip Newton also used to keep mares around the corner.

Newsells Park is also only 20 miles away, and their relationship began when choosing Equiano for Persario. To date, The Tin Man has been by a considerable margin the best advertisement for a stallion who has fallen rather out of fashion.

“I went to the sales and they were showing off Equiano as a stallion,” she recalls. “I'd seen him race and I fell in love with him. I got in touch with Julian and The Tin Man was one of the first crop.”

“They've been really helpful. I was going to sell The Tin Man as a foal, and we didn't because he wasn't quite mature enough. I think Julian thought 'let's keep him for a yearling', and he bought into him with us. He has taken us under his wing”

At Tattersalls Book 1 in 2013, The Tin Man was bought for 80,000gns by Anthony Stroud on Fanshawe's behalf. Grundy continues: “James knew the family and he's such a good trainer because he just takes his time and that family do not really run that well as 2-year-olds. They're much better later on and The Tin Man is still running strong as a 6-year-old.”

There seems to be no obvious reason why The Tin Man, who has added to his Group 1 tally in the 2017 Diamond Jubilee S. and the recent Sprint Cup S. at Haydock, should not continue in the division for further seasons. As he is a gelding, there are others who can feature in the couple's plans such as Indian Tygress (GB) (Sepoy {Aus}), who has shown promise at three. Elizabeth's old favourite Equiano was revisited to produce a filly foal and Persario has subsequently been to him again.

“It's exciting, we'll try to keep all the female line now and carry on breeding. The mare's 19 now and she has been so amazing to produce all these horses. She wasn't fashionably bred, a Warning line. A lot of people now are so interbreeding that it's quite nice that I can cross her with anything. But we don't have huge amounts of money to go to the top stallions, and she's done well with every single one she's been to.”

“It has to be conformation for me [in a stallion]; they have to be really good-looking, have plenty of bone about them. If you're going to sell something at the sales nowadays, they have to be perfect.”

That comment prompts the only wistful thought from the otherwise cheerful Grundy, who said she feels some detachment from the enjoyment given to The Tin Man's ownership syndicate, Fred Archer Racing. Persario's latest yearling, by Muhaarar (GB), was unsold at Book 1.

“It's always quite hard when you've bred something and it does really really well, and you're not really involved,” she explains. “We've met lots of the syndicate and it's great for James but you feel slightly an outsider. Perhaps we should have bought a share but we can't afford to do so.”

“We find it very expensive training them; that's always been our problem, so we've had to sell. Luckily, though, we've got a new partner, Rosie Manning, who has come in with Indian Tygress and is going to stay through the breeding programme.”

No-one, of course, can leave the mafia once fealty is sworn. Not that this is an issue for this pair of members.

“We have to sell because that's what keeps us going. It's our passion, it gets us up in the morning and out into the yard,” Elizabeth says. “It's a numbers game, but it can be done with just a few mares.”