He only raced 9 times but won some major Australian black type features

Grand Flaneur, a product of Fernhill Stud, was born in 1877 at E.K. Cox's establishment near Mulgoa, NSW. In the latter half of the 19th century. Many of his ancestors originated from England, as was the case with numerous Australian thoroughbreds of that era. Grand Flaneur’s sire was Yattendon, a highly proficient racehorse who achieved notable victories in the AJC Derby, St. Leger, and the 1866 Sydney Cup. It is pertinent to mention that Yattendon's lineage can be traced back to Australian origins, with both his sire and dam hailing from the same region. Yattendon also contributed, out of Lady Chester, a colt named Chester, who won 19 times from 30 starts, including the 1877 Melbourne Cup. Grand Flaneur's grandsire Sir Hercules was unraced, but enjoys a great claim to fame as the sire of The Barb, a horse with substantial racing credentials. Grand Flaneur’s dam was the British import First Lady, that arrived in Sydney in 1875.

Grand Flaneur, participated in only nine career starts, with a single notable appearance during his two-year-old year. In 1880, he achieved victory in the VRC Normanby Stakes, a prestigious five-furlong (1000m) sprint race. In the 1880-81 racing season, as a three-year-old, Grand Flaneur achieved remarkable success, securing victories in every race he entered. Initially competing in sprint distance events, the horse demonstrated exceptional adaptability by transitioning to and excelling in races of 10 furlongs and beyond. The first significant victory for the colt was the 1880 AJC Derby, a prestigious race for three-year-old thoroughbreds. The race took place at Randwick Racecourse, covered a distance of 12 furlongs (2400m), and was conducted under set weight conditions. Several of Australia's most renowned horses in history, including Phar Lap, initially gained recognition by winning this famous race. As of 2015, Grand Flaneur's jockey, Tom Hales, holds the record for the most victories in this race, with an impressive six wins.

Grand Flaneur achieved victory in the 1880 Melbourne Cup, surpassing the widely favored contender, Progress, by a margin of one length. However, Grand Flaneur did not garner widespread public favour due to the questionable reputation of it's owner, who was known for strategically withdrawing his horses from races to secure betting gains. It is noteworthy that the year prior to this event, the Totalisator made its inaugural appearance at Flemington. Subsequently, victories in two less prominent competitions, namely the AJC and VRC iterations of the Mares Produce Stakes kept his unbeaten record intact. He then won the Victoria Derby before taking on the 24 furlong (4800m) VRC Champion Stakes in 1881, which he won by one length, the average winning margin in his victories. The VRC St. Leger Stakes marked the culmination of his major victories, while the Town Plate served as both his final triumph and the conclusion of his racing career.

After an injury brought Grand Flaneur’s racing career to a premature end, he retired to Richmond, NSW to stand at Andrew Town’s Hobartville Stud. His first efforts produced Bravo, winner of the 1889 Melbourne Cup, one year prior to Carbine’s victory. He was also involved in Patron, that won the Melbourne Cup in 1894. Other notables he produced include Hopscotch, Merman, that ran in England, and Parthian. In all, he sired 23 stakes winners that produced 45 stakes wins, including many of Australia’s major races. There is debate whether the horse should have been inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame, however his influence was fairly significant in the early era of thoroughbred racing down under. His stakes earnings of just over £8000 were incredible for such a lightly raced horse of the era.

RACE RECORD - 9 starts, 9 wins
EARNINGS - £8,105

VRC Normandy Stakes (1880)
AJC Derby (1880)
Melbourne Cup (1880)
AJC Mares Produce Stakes (1880)
VRC Mares Produce Stakes (1880)
Victoria Derby (1880)
VRC St Leger Stakes (1881)
VRC Champion Stakes (1881)
Town Plate (1881)