Pitmans hope Sensei does late son proud
Matt Pitman has been craving a Group I victory for three seasons but achieving it on Saturday would mean much more than winning any horse race.
Cup week is an emotional rollercoaster for Pitman and his parents Michael and Diane. Monday marks the four-year anniversary since the death of their brother and son Jonny Pitman.
It’s a tough time but a special colt is bringing back plenty of positive memories of a much-loved brother and son.
Sensei, who shares second favouritism for Saturday’s Group I 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, is named after the late Jonny Pitman who died suddenly in 2013.
The name takes its inspiration from him being presented with a judo black belt in Japan. He spent around a month in Japan training where the Sensei presented him with his black belt.
‘‘That was definitely one of the most special moments in Jonny’s life,’’ Matt Pitman said.
Sensei was the second choice name for the Pitman family.
The first was Pitbull, a name Jonny Pitman earned for his hardnosed style during his rugby league days playing for the Hornby and Riccarton clubs, but it was already taken.
The striking colt was always going to be named after Jonny from the moment Michael Pitman set eyes on him at a yearling sale in Australia. His imposing features and dark colouring instantly reminded him of his late son.
The Dream Ahead colt has three wins and three placings amongst his nine starts and has never finished further back than fourth.
Matt Pitman is yet to realise his Group I goal but he has come close. In 2015, Son Of Maher ran second in the Group I Levin Classic.
‘‘I fell like we’ve been knocking down the door in the last two or three seasons without quite getting there,’’ he said.
There have been other near misses in a career has been littered with success, since joining his father in a training partnership at the start of the 2014-15 season.
The partnership was set to be a three-way venture with the Pitman brothers and their father before Jonny Pitman’s death. Sensei has gone to another level in his three-year-old campaign that has yielded two wins and a second.
His resuming run was a blistering 1200m start at Phar Lap Raceway where he made multiple lengths to score a two and a quarter length win in a time of 1.09.91.
He backed that up with second behind Prom Queen in the Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton and his last start win came on Sunday in a classy performance in a rating 75 at Motukarara.
Matt Pitman said he has come through the run in perfect order. ‘‘It was the perfect Guineas trial really. We couldn’t be happier with where he is at.’’
Reigning national jockeys’ premiership champion Chris Johnson has missed the last two race starts due to suspension but will be back to ride Sensei on Saturday.
There have been question marks around Sensei getting the mile but Pitman is not concerned.
‘‘On pedigree, it looks like a mile is right at the end of his range but the way he’s gone this season it’s given us a lot more confidence.’’
Pitman has labelled the 2017 edition of the race has a strong but also even field and he is confident Sensei can fight out the finish if he gets some luck in the running.
‘‘You need a lot of luck to win these Group I races so hopefully, we can get it.’’ He said they had taken extra confidence from Johnson’s belief he will get the mile.’’