Grimley, who has occupied a host of key senior roles throughout his career, developed an interest in racing as a punter in his late teens and hasn’t looked back since securing his first job at the Coles Brothers in Adelaide, after realising he had a photographic memory of pedigrees.
“He (David Coles) was all-encompassing, he wouldn’t ask you to do anything he wouldn’t do himself, there were many a times late at night (when we got behind writing pedigrees for yearling sales) and DRC would drive back in and do a couple of pedigrees himself,” Grimley said.
“He was a hands-on mentor, and his greatest talent was getting clients and once he got them, he would pass them onto us younger guys and we were always dealing with up-and-coming players within the industry, and from that point of view we all got great groundings.”
Working with Messara
Grimley linked up with John Messara when he launched Arrowfield Stud in 1985 and describes the experience as a 'real rocket ship ride'.
"It was one of the most exciting times of my life, to be honest with you, We started there in 1985 and by the end of 1987, we bought two-quarters of Robert Sangster's Southern Hemisphere crop, we bought Ra Ora (Stud), became a public company, and the Arrowfield property which is now Coolmore was bought,” he said.
Starting up Coolmore
Grimley reflects on being entrusted with starting up Coolmore Stud’s Australian base at Jerry Plains with Michael Kirwan in 1996 and the challenges that went into getting the operation off the ground.
He speaks fondly of his association with breed-shaping stallion Danehill (USA), two greats of the farm's roster in Fastnet Rock and Encosta De Lago along with racing Fastnet's dual hemisphere Group 1-winning son turned Coolmore stallion Merchant Navy.
Andrew Williams and Duncan Grimley | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“I was asked to head it up with Michael Kirwan back in the mid-90s and I remember driving onto the farm on the 1st of May 1996 and I think there were 32 horses on the farm, and we had something like four clients, and I looked at Michael and said, 'This isn’t going to be easy selling this place,” he said.
“I’d say we (Coolmore) were as popular as the plague at that stage.”
The Singleton experience
Grimley has operated as John Singleton’s bloodstock manager and advisor for the last 19 years and thoroughly enjoys working with the Strawberry Hill Stud owner.
He also discusses how Singleton and Gai Waterhouse’s infamous G1 Cox Plate barrier draw ‘blow up’ has overshadowed the greatness of eight-time Group 1-winning heroine More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA})
