Trainer gets cancer all-clear en route to first Royal Ascot runner

Having a runner at Royal Ascot is special for any trainer, but for Michael Pitman it has taken on a new significance after he was given the all-clear from cancer while travelling to Britain for the meeting.

The New Zealand-based trainer received the news by email at Los Angeles airport as he flew over to prepare his first British runner, Enzo's Lad, to race in the King's Stand and the Diamond Jubilee.

Pitman was diagnosed with bowel cancer last August and went through 26 days of chemotherapy and radiation before enduring a major operation on October 8, which lasted more than seven hours.

The 64-year-old, who underwent further surgery last month, said: "It was amazing to step off the plane in LA with my wife Diane and be told everything is fine. I opened the email and it was like winning the lottery – I'm the same as everybody else, I want to live and now I've got my life ahead of me.

"I've had an unbelievably good run. I've been lucky enough to train horses for 35 years and have been on a high the whole time. There's been bumps along the way but when I reflect on my journey it's been outstanding and I've been given a new lease of life.

"I was always going to find a way to get to Royal Ascot. I stay awake and watch Royal Ascot every year and love its history. It's the best week of racing in the world and to be part of it is simply a dream come true for me – it's the absolute pinnacle."

A runner at the royal meeting is a culmination of years of work and the trainer is no stranger to overcoming adversity.

When a teenager, Pitman worked as a sales manager for golf brand PGF before "having a crack" at horse racing and taking out his licence 37 years ago.

A month later, he was hit by a car and spent six months in hospital. He left with an artificial leg and for a time was wheelchair-bound.

He said: "When I came out of hospital I had 17 dollars. The surgeon told me to enjoy my life as I would be back in a wheelchair by 50. I think people thought I couldn't train. My wife and I have done it the hard way and are able to appreciate what we've achieved."

Enzo's Lad, who was bought for AUS$15,000 (£8,250/€9,280), won at the top level for the second time in New Zealand in January but did not enjoy the experience when last in The Chairman's Sprint Prize, a Group 1 at Sha Tin.

Enzo's Lad will run in the King's Stand and the Diamond JubileeCredit: Hagen Hopkins

A general 50-1 chance for the King's Stand, Enzo's Lad is being prepared for Ascot at Jane Chapple-Hyam's yard in Newmarket – or "horse heaven" as Pitman describes it.

"I've watched a lot of Royal Ascot and the trainers sometimes complain that the track is too hard, but I'm the opposite and hope it's like concrete," said Pitman.

"Enzo's Lad has won a bit of money by New Zealand standards and at this stage will be running both days. I was going to put a pencil through Royal Ascot after Sha Tin, when he struggled with the ground and going right-handed round a bend, but he's done really well and you may only get one crack at having a Royal Ascot runner in your lifetime."

Pitman, who tragically lost his 28-year-old son Jonny in 2013, trains in partnership with his son Matthew, who could take over the operation in the next two or three seasons.

He said: "We are the third most successful yard in New Zealand with more than 1,800 winners and I'm immensely proud we've got to this level. I will retire the day after I reach 2,000, which could take three or four seasons depending on how we perform.

"It would be extra special to get a Royal Ascot winner for my son Matty, who can't come over to England as he has a seven-month old baby and has to look after the yard. He's the future."

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