Grantham in red-hot training form ahead of 2025 Belmont Guineas
Punters who’ve kept the faith in trainer Michael Grantham have been handsomely rewarded as his stable continues to fire, with rising star Opportunistic headlining the team’s latest push for black type honours.
The North Dandalup-based trainer is eyeing off a third win in the Listed Belmont Guineas (1600m) this Saturday, with the undefeated Opportunistic well placed to maintain his unblemished record.
The three-year-old is two from two, most recently claiming the Listed Raconteur Stakes (1400m) at Bunbury, digging deep to fend off Elite Missile by a short margin in just his second race start.
Grantham’s runners have been in superb form in recent weeks, with ten wins already recorded in June, including a hat-trick at Pinjarra. He’s now closing in on the leaders in the WA metropolitan trainers’ standings with 32 city wins for the season.
Despite the hot streak, Grantham remains humble about his achievements.
“All the horses are going well,” Grantham told Tabradio. “The team behind me are always up first, out there doing all the hard work and I’m taking all the credit for it. It’s a big team effort and it’s going well.”
Opportunistic’s rise has been swift, and Grantham sees Saturday’s race as a stepping stone to a potential Ascot carnival campaign.
“He’s done nothing wrong, he’s a pretty cool customer at home,” Grantham said. “He’ll have his final gallop on Wednesday and has done everything right.
“Going forward we are going to be at set weight and penalties now, so we meet everyone equal. It will be a lot tougher for him, but it will give us some confidence to see what he can do.
“If he does go well, you know that we’re putting him away for a reason and come back for the summer.”
Grantham has a proven record in the Belmont Guineas, with past victories thanks to Devoted in 2022 and Luvnwar in 2023. He also has strong hopes for Midnight Star, entered at Northam this Wednesday.
Ready to bet on Opportunistic or the Belmont Guineas? Check out the latest markets and odds at top Australian betting sites.
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