‘FACES of the industry’
Michael Grantham
‘ADVENTUROUS, mischievous, naughty, boisterous’ – the words used to describe Michael by his family members growing up as a kid.
There wasn’t a lot that Michael wouldn’t do as a young kid, from reversing his dad’s trucks down the narrow Epsom Ave driveway at their home in Ascot, to galloping around the Ascot backtrack on his pony ‘Chilly’, or tearing his pee wee 50 around his nana’s backyard, not to mention the training wheels that had been taken off of his bike as a toddler.
It was obvious from a young age that Michael, better known as ‘Micky G’, would have some sort of involvement in the racing industry with his dad Mark being a former jockey and owner of Grantham’s Horse Transport and his mum Kellie a well known then Ascot trainer. After learning to ride on his chestnut Shetland Chilly, Grantham started riding track work for his mum at the age of 14.
With his education still being a priority, Grantham was still studying at the time he signed up for his apprenticeship as a jockey and in 2010 he had his first ride finishing 6th at Northam Race Club aboard the Adam Durrant trained, Secret Bullion.
In 2007 twin brothers Tommy and Nathan Berry made the move to Perth where Nathan joined the Kellie Grantham stables as an apprentice. Grantham formed a close friendship with the brothers and in 2011 landed a 3 month stint in Sydney with Chris Waller. Grantham lived with Tommy during his time there and had the pleasure of riding track work for Gai Waterhouse and Gerald Ryan. He describes Tommy and Nathan as one of the biggest influences in his career as a jockey and experienced great sadness with the passing of Nathan in 2014.
Another major influence within his riding career was his multi-tasked mum. Starting to face a battle with his weight, Kellie went to extreme measures to assist Grantham and played a major role in his career as his manager and master as well.
Although his career as a jockey was short lived due to weight issues, Grantham walked away with 97 winners from just short of 1,000 rides.
An inspiration to his current harness career is his Aunty Lara, who has her fair share of knowledge within the racing industry being Lou Luciaini’s foreman for a number of years, and Uncle, well-known Group One winning harness trainer and Olympic Gold medalist Michael Brennan. Brennan assisted Grantham with his health and well being as a jockey, travelling into the Ascot stables several times a week to train with him and keep his nutrition balanced. Now combining as a strong trainer/driver partnership in the Harness Racing game, Grantham and Brennan are enjoying successes with class horses such as Billies A Star and the part family owned The Bucket List.
At the time, Brennan was stable foreman for Gary Hall Snr. Grantham started driving track work for Brennan and Hall Snr a year after hanging up the silks and decided that he would make the switch from saddle to sulky not long after. It was only months after he started driving track work that Grantham had his first trial for Brennan on Bledisloe. In March 2014 Grantham drove his first winner for trainer and father of long-term girlfriend Maddison, Colin Brown on Deflector.
Other than steering around the horses, Grantham received his truck licence at just 17 years of age and now also works full-time transporting horses for his father at Grantham’s Horse Transport. With several trips to Broome under his belt this year already and staring recently on the show ‘Outback Truckers’, Grantham travels approximately 300kms a day, juggling shifts between harness meetings.
With no future intentions to train, the now 21 year old is enjoying life the way it is and looking forward to potentially having his first drive in the prestigious harness race, the Inter Dominion, later this year.
Favourite holiday destination: Broome
Favourite childhood memory: Being so close with my sister Claire
Best looking person in Harness Racing: Stephanie Smith because I can’t split it between Aiden De Campo and Dylan Edgerton-Green
Favourite food: Nana’s food
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
