Frank McGrath's career spanned 65 years. As a jockey he rode with considerable success; he was fortunate not to lose his life in Australia's worst race accident, the 1885 Caulfield Cup won by Grace Darling.

In the early 1900s he took to training and quickly established a reputation as a first-class conditioner of thoroughbreds. With Abundance he won the AJC Derby of 1902 and the St Leger the following year. Another star of his early career was Prince Foote with whom he won the 1909 AJC Derby, Victoria Derby and Melbourne Cup.

In the 1920s and 1930s McGrath trained a series of champion gallopers. With Amounis he won the Caulfield Cup, two Epsom Handicaps and the W.S. Cox Plate. Peter Pan won for him two Melbourne Cups and a host of feature races. With Beau Vite he won the W.S. Cox Plate and the Metropolitan Handicap.

In 1947 he retired, having won 121 feature races, and handed over his stable to his son.

McGrath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. 

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