Perseverance and patience paid a great dividend for Mick Stanley and his family when Rackemup Tigerpie crashed the line to win the group 3 $35,000 Hamilton Pacing Cup on Sunday.
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It was the seven-year-old's first victory since he saluted in a Vicbred Super Series semi-final in June, 2019.
"It's not the biggest race we've won, but definitely the most satisfying to get him back in the winners' stall," Stanley said.
It has been a challenging road for Stanley and his father Ian to rehabilitate Rackemup Tigerpie, which appeared to have the world at his feet when second in a star-studded 2019 Ballarat Cup after three wins on the trot.
Rackemup Tigerpie would go on to qualify for the Chariots Of Fire final and then win the Vicbred Super Series heat, but, while he had plenty of bold moments it was soon clear something was amiss.
Stanley said it was initially thought hard runs as a four-year-old had "got the better of him", but then "we discovered bad ulcers in his stomach".
He said Rackemup Tigerpie's resurgence was a "huge credit to Dad because when he lost his way ... he just lost his zest for racing".
"We couldn't work out why. Dad's the one, with the ulcers, this is the last thing we had checked. The vets did a great job and picked it up. It was fairly intensive treatment for a while, Dad treated him up, got him healthy, jogged him back up and gave him a couple of runs."
"The last run he gave him at Melton I said I think he's nearly ready for you to drop him off at home again."
He has since runs two third placings, an eighth in the Bendigo Cup and now Sunday's Hamilton Cup win
