Rags to riches trainer rewrites record books | Canterbury Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Canterbury

Part-time horse trainer Michael Pitman limped out of hospital 28 years ago with $17 to his name.

Now he's the South Island's top trainer after a sensational season with at least one record he predicts no one will ever beat.

The thoroughbred racing season finished on July 31 and Pitman is right back into it with the winter carnival week at Riccarton culminating in tomorrow's Grand National steeplechase.

But he can pause to bask in what he's achieved in the last 12 months.

# Top South Island trainer and third most successful in New Zealand with 74 wins.

# Nearly $1m in stakes earnings.

# A new Riccarton Park record of 33 wins during the season.

# And 1000 career wins for him and his wife Diane as trainers.

The 74 win total is the third time Pitman has broken the record for a South Island trainer (at one time it stood for nearly 30 years at 61), but he's sure no one - including him - will break it again.

"No way," he says. "It's not being big headed, but I can't see anybody else getting close.

"I still wonder how we managed to train that many winners. We lost six meetings during the season through weather."

His only regret about a remarkable year is not reaching $1m in stakes - particularly since he could have done.

He finished just $7000 short, but $200,000 ahead of any other South Island stable.

"We could have probably broken the $1m but there were some big meetings coming up," he said.

"We won two real good ones last Saturday and either one of those (horses) could have got us through $1m.

"In fairness to owners, you don't win one worth $10,000 when you could win $40,000. You can't put personal milestones first. I would love to have broken $1m but it was not to be."

Pitman's rags to riches racing career is the stuff of a movie.

About 28 years ago he left hospital with an artificial leg and $17 to his name.

He borrowed $300 from his brother Craig, and the pair and Christchurch dentist Les Ewart bought a horse called Jack Frost for $1000 in December. By Easter they'd sold it for $54,000, and Pitman was up and running.

The Pitmans don't do things by halves. He and his wife, who has also trained, had their joint 1000th winner at Riverton at Easter - and trifected the race. And in the record 33rd win at Riccarton, they also trifected.

As he prepares his team for tomorrow's big meeting at Riccarton, Pitman reckons it's a great time to be involved in the sport of kings. It was "flying" in Canterbury which was probably why they won so much in stake money last season, he said. And in NZ Cup week, every race would have a minimum $20,000 stake, he pointed out.

He says his motto is "an ounce of luck is better than a ton of judgement," which of course overlooks the Pitmans' enormous work with a 35-horse team to stay at the top.

"We have the best team and best staff in South Island racing," he said. That includes leading apprentice Ashlee Mundy, who was second only to Lisa Cropp among female winners last season.

Pitman said he never took any win for granted, "and I still get a real kick out of winning." He and his wife have never kept scrapbooks of their successes: "I always aim forward. We are positive people!" And with wins in $40,000 and $35,000 features at Riccarton last weekend, the new season looks set to be memorable, too.