News

Donna's full of Beans over her new stable star

3rd Jan 2012

Illawarra Mercury - Adam Pengilly - Tuesday, 3 January 2012

Having shelled out a paltry sum for a Patinack Farm cast-off, Donna Grisedale has resisted six-figure overtures for slashing trial winner Frankenbeans in a bid to springboard her Kembla career.

And in a month where millionaire row will converge on Australasian yearling sales, it was the odd name of a lot at a Sydney tried horse sale which may have provided a timely boost to the young trainer's career.

Unraced and unwanted at the time, Frankenbeans caught the attention of Grisedale and her jockey husband Jon as they flicked through the catalogue for the sale.

The pair were then barely pushed past a four figure sum to secure Frankenbeans, who was passed in at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $90,000.

"I actually picked him because he had a funny name," Grisedale said.

"We were sitting here just looking through the catalogue and he had a funny name and we had a joke about it. When we got there and saw him he just looked unbelievable.

"They've given away an outstanding horse."

A remarkable 11-length trial win at Canberra had tongues wagging soon after before Jon piloted the Exceed And Excel galloper to a maiden win at the same venue last week. Two starts in and Frankenbeans has more than paid his way already.

Frankenbeans is out of New Zealand mare Carnegie Hikari, a half-sister to Queensland Oaks winner Vouvray, and Grisedale is pinning her hopes on the stable star after turning down several big offers from overseas.

"We had a massive offer of $150,000 for him. Jon's got good raps on him and from the time of buying him until now, he's already shown us what he can do with the times he's running.

"I think he's a horse that will win a Saturday race in town. I'm very confident he will."

But that ambition might have to wait a while yet. Grisedale will provide the maturing three-year-old with a four to six-week freshen up before trying to plunder more non-metropolitan races.

"I don't have to put him out now, but he's giving me a few signs to say he needs a break," she said. "He's got the ability and I think when he comes back he'll be a much better horse."