Cancer treatment can’t keep Nini Vascotto away from trackside joy with maiden winner Forzanini

If the racehorse Forzanini has just a portion of her owner’s courage, then the filly will be a champion.

When Forzanini won her maiden at the Kensington track on Wednesday, it’s difficult to imagine a more popular and emotional result.

In the winner’s stall was her part-owner, Nini Vascotto, an Australian Turf Club employee who has been enduring cancer for a decade.

Vascotto’s health has been in decline in recent weeks but she wasn’t going to miss this race. She even had her cancer treatment delayed for a couple of hours so she could make it to the track.

“I’m still on cloud nine, it was so good to see Forzanini win,’’ Vascotto said.

“I have rarely left home the last couple of weeks because I haven’t been well.

“I was due to have a blood transfusion on Wednesday but in the back of my mind Fozanini was going to be running at Randwick and I couldn’t miss that.

“The nurse came to my home in the morning to do dress my wounds and then I went to the races.

“Just as the horses came into the yard for Forzanini’s race, I got a call from the hospital to say a bed was ready for me. I said I might be busy for the next half an hour!”

The win of Forzanini – ‘forza’ means strength and power in Italian – lifted Vascotto’s spirits before her devoted husband, Murray Conallin, drove her to hospital for the blood transfusion.

Vascotto chronicles her struggles with cancer on social media. She has always been candid and honest about her progress.

Her story has given inspiration and hope too many who read her regular updates.

So, when Vascotto posted late last week that her road ahead was very challenging, she was overwhelmed and humbled by the response from friends, colleagues and people she had never met.

The win of Forzanini has given Vascotto a boost.Source:Supplied

Former top jockey Tye Angland took to social media last week calling for donations to help Nini during this difficult time. Many Sydney jockeys and trainers and others quickly joined in pledging their support.

“I know from the bottom of my heart how many people are supportive and always have been, the racing community really rallies behind their own,’’ Vascotto said.

“But there are a lot of people I don’t even know who take a few seconds to send a note to say they are thinking of me and to stay strong.

“It all helps because I have to be honest now, this is the first time my doctors and nurses have been very blunt with me.

“There is that realisation that because the cancer is now in my brain, I might not have 12 months.’’

Vascotto acknowledges there her doctors are running out of treatment options but she continues to confront cancer with a courage few could muster.

“I’m hoping the blood transfusions give me some energy so I can get out of the house a bit more,’’ she said.

“I just want to start feeling better.’’

Vascotto admitted the confronting news doctors delivered her last week was a “bit of a shock”.

“We know it is coming, we all know that stage 4 cancer doesn’t have this longevity,’’ she said.

“I have been very lucky to have lasted as long as I have. There have been improvements in medicines and treatments and I’ve been lucky to receive all that in the last few years.

“But right now it is like we have a lawn we are trying to mow and keep under control but weeds are starting to pop up everywhere.’’

Nini has been staring down cancer for a decade now – and she is not about to blink.

Originally published asCancer treatment can’t stop track joy for Nini

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