Nash Rawiller had felt that he had made a mistake. his spirit was laboring. He felt a release in his chest. The pain was laborious.
The champion of AGASO, who was sitting on the barrier during the trial session, asked the police to see the ambulance.
After being treated at the track, Rawiller was transferred to a nearby Liverpool hospital for further checks.
Rawiller ended up staying in the hospital for three days. Leni had suffered an attack in her mind.
“I felt a pain in my chest that I had never experienced before,” Rawiller said.
“I usually push through pain well, but I’ve never experienced anything like this. It was like your thin heart.”
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It is difficult to understand Rawiller talking about what happened this morning about three weeks ago.
He also knows that this event is a wake-up call to himself and others. He may save someone’s life by talking about his experience.
Rawiller, 48, has been one of the nation’s top drivers for three decades. A rider is heavy and must bear an inhuman diet in order to stand in the saddle.
It does not seem likely that the claimant had a heart attack when he revealed that he was a smoker most of his life.
But since his heart attack three weeks ago, Rawiller hasn’t had another cigarette. He went “cold turkey”.
“I think it was a real wake-up call for me,” Rawiller said.
“I’ve smoked for probably 30 years and, to be honest, because I exercise so much I’ve never had a problem with my lungs.
“Yes, I’ve never yet realized the need to rest, which is probably silly.
When I was 40, I gave it to them.
“Gai (Waterhouse) took me off one level for those six months there but I slowly started smoking again.
“I think I’m very lucky. I’ve been warned where I haven’t done any real damage.”
‘If another three or four years had gone, who knows what would have happened.
“But I haven’t had a cigarette since that morning. Sometimes you have that nicotine that eases it out of your system.”
Nash Rawiller returns to climb the Strawberries last month, the last winner before his safety scare. Picture: Brendon Thorne-Getty Images
Rawiller spent a week recuperating after the barrier trial incident but returned to the gym and track, went to the Rosehill barrier trials next Monday and returned to the Canterbury track on Wednesday.
“I practiced more than usual,” he revealed.
“I’m starting to feel really good, but I think this is the kick I need.”
“If you ignore your body, it will eventually catch up with you. I think it’s something to think about other people.
“I’m a pretty fit dude and that just goes to show that it can happen to anyone.”
Rawiller will go straight to “work” at the weekend with his racing manager Liam Prior, with four rides at Friday’s Kensington meeting including the promising filly Call Di, a $2.40 TAB fixed odds entry for the TAB Trap (.1400m).
Call Di a beautiful noble from the English Super horse Frankel out of the former champion filly Samantha Miss.
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A three-year-old son of John Singleton, Rawiller is an admirer of iron nerves, vigorous riding, and bred for strength on horseback.
Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Call Di sat winless after two starts on her debut preparation, but showed plenty of potential when she finished third quickly to A Lot More Love in the last listed Reginald Allen Handicap.
Rawiller of the other Kensington rides for the Chris Waller stable at Wangaehu, $2.25 favorite for Furphy Stakes (2400m), Noble Conqueror ($7.50) in the Precise Air Stakes (1400m) and Latenighttoughguy ($6) in the Blue Point First Year Stakes ($1000m).
At Royal Randwick on Saturday, Rawiller has five rides including Guineas placegetter Osipenko Waller’s talented Caulfield ($8) who is first in the Group 3 $200,000 Fujitsu General Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).
Trainer Gai Waterhouse had Nash Rawiller smoking on one level for six months before starting again.
The Sydney-based trainer also made Rawiller de Fearnought ($13) in the Sam and David Handicap (1300m) and Lindermann ($8) in the Petaluma Handicap (1200m).
Rawiller’s Randwick is also riding stable King Ratel ($7.50) in the tab handicap (1800m) and Street Amulet ($7) in the road TABV (1200m).
Throughout his excellent riding career, Rawiller has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to overcome the odds so that it is no surprise that his recent illness is now behind him.
“As a kid starting out, I didn’t sit down as a team 1 winner until I was 23,” Rawiller said.
“I had serious weight problems and I almost felt like I was getting to a place where I was going to have another job.
“But through determination and guts I hung in there. I got into clothes, the weights slowly went up and by the time I was 30 I was giving myself a name.
“Then I got an opportunity with Gai and it brought me to another level but it didn’t happen overnight.”
Rawiller continues to struggle with his weight, but has found a way over three decades to stay in the chair and stay happy.
“When you’re in your late teens to early 20s, you’re struggling to see the effect you’re having with your weight,” Rawiller said.
“Get down to a certain weight then in the morning you’ll be back up to where you were the day before.”
“I guess you have to fight your body sometimes, but as you get older, it gets a little easier and you get smarter.”
Nash Rawiller has won 68 Group 1s including a memorable victory with Think It Over in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes last year. Picture: Mark Evans-Getty Images
Rawiller has already achieved so much in his illustrious career.
This writer ran the numbers from AGASO including more than 2,500 career winners, three Sydney AGASO premierships and 63 Group 1 wins.
“I sit 68 Group 1 winners,” he said, immediately correcting the record.
Of course, Rawiller successfully completed his international career with major international wins in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Macau and New Zealand to complete his 63 Group Australia.
Rawiller’s driving record is comparable to some of the all-time greats and despite his recent health scare and a few untimely suspensions during the season, Rawiller has driven 21 Sydney winners so far to be equal 10th in the awards standings.
The spur-of-the-moment athlete remains as ready as a teenage apprentice as they take on another Sydney autumn.
“I would like to achieve so many things,” said Rawiller.
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“It’s pretty good that (Racing NSW chief executive) Peter V’landys keeps putting on these new races and until you win them you don’t want to give up too soon.
“These new races are capturing everyone’s attention now, they will come from overseas to try them and capture them. Sydney is running on paper, it’s as big as it is now anywhere in the world.
“I’m looking forward to the next few months. I feel really good now and I’m in time to do something in the autumn.”