Owner of the Month – December – Grant Cornwall

The 2024 Betway Summer Cup certainly proved to be a day full of thrilling races and after a spectacular main event, Atticus Finch emerged victorious, delivering an unforgettable moment for his ecstatic and emotional owners. Among them was Grant Cornwall, who we are proud to present as our Owner of the Month for December. We had the pleasure of catching up with him to learn more about his journey in horseracing.

Grant has been passionately involved in the horseracing industry for 22 years and currently has 36 horses of which most are in partnership and a few owned individually. He prefers racing in partnership as he enjoys sharing the journey with great people. He describes thoroughbreds as majestic athletes with extraordinary attributes, noting their unmatched spirit and ability to give their all when asked. Throughout his journey, Grant has built lifelong friendships through his partnerships, underscoring the community aspect of the sport.

Duncan McKenzie and Wendy Whitehead trained Grant’s first horse, and he has also had a long-standing relationship with Paul Denysschen and Paul’s son Lowan after his father’s passing. Grant also touched on some of his past trainers in the KwaZulu-Natal region including Clodagh Shaw, Alistair Gordon, Dennis Drier, Mike Miller and Paul Lafferty to name a few.

Most of Grant’s horses are stabled at the Randjesfontein Training Centre with Alec Laird who trains the Betway Summer Cup winner. Grant has been friends with Alec for many years and despite residing in KwaZulu Natal, he chose Alec as his predominant trainer and is thankful for their longstanding friendship and training relationship throughout the years. Grant has met fellow co-owners Gary Basel and Lance Clark through Alec, and they have developed a wonderful partnership forming an amazing team with a lovely string of horses. He credits Alec and says: “Alec is a horseman extraordinaire who is passionate about his craft. Highly professional and backed by a great team I can only see the yard going from strength to strength”. In other regions, Grant has horses at the Summerveld Training Centre with Peter Muscutt and Gary Rich, and one horse in the Western Cape who will be conditioned by Eric Sands.

Outside of racing, Grant is the owner of a successful furniture manufacturing business, Furniture Perfection, that supplies flat-pack furniture to major retailers across South Africa and neighboring countries. Balancing work and family, Grant credits his wife Shirley and their three children—two daughters and a son—for their unwavering support. Despite his busy schedule, he finds time to indulge in his other passions, which include golf, fishing, and enjoys various sports, especially soccer as he is an avid Liverpool supporter. He adds that nothing beats a summertime braai with friends and family together with a few “cold ones”.

Reflecting on his most memorable moments, Grant highlights two in particular. “One will never forget their first winner, in my case it was a filly named Spice Bush trained by Duncan McKenzie”, he said, an indescribable experience that he ranks as one of the best feelings for anyone involved in racing. The second standout moment came just recently, when Atticus Finch secured his first Grade 1 victory. Grant recalls the day as nothing short of extraordinary, surrounded by incredible people and filled with elation. He said: “Being in Gary’s racing box with family and friends shouting and cheering the horse home was deafening. I’m sure Calvin could hear us from the saddle! It was an incredible day shared with incredible people and will be one that I will never forget”.

Upon reflection, Grant sees racing similar to life in many ways – full of ups and downs, good times and bad, but ultimately the highs will always outweigh the lows leaving unforgettable memories. He has met wonderful people through racing and developed lifelong friendships. Grant ended off by saying: “I’ve learnt how hard this game can be as well as what a truly great sport it is – always be a soldier no matter what!”.

Grant is a recent member of the ROA and appreciates the seamless raceday experience. He also notes that the bonus incentives are a great initiative and would recommend membership to all racegoers.

Congratulations to Lance Clark, Gary Basel, Grant Cornwall and Phillip Gregory on their fantastic Grade 1 Betway Summer Cup winner. We wish Grant, his family and friends many more memorable moments and a wonderful festive season.