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| Staff Writer |
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Van Duuren will again wheel himself into The Everest mounting yard at Royal Randwick on Saturday, and the rest of the owners of Nature Strip, the world’s best sprinter, will congregate around him.
On a nearby patch of synthetic grass, Van Duuren jumped out of his wheelchair and managed to celebrate Nature Strip’s win in Everest last year.
Days before he was told he had four to six weeks to live after being diagnosed with lung cancer. He was booked to start chemotherapy on Monday.
A year on and Van Duuren, 76, is still fighting.
On Tuesday night, he boarded a super yacht on Sydney Harbour for The Everest barrier draw and ran into Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys for the first time since Royal Ascot.
He will take notice of his pride and joy Nature Strip, set to start the shortest-priced favourite in the history of the $15 million The Everest as he tries to defend his title.
In between trainer Chris Waller, part-owner Steve Hansen and the rest of the chestnut’s owners, McDonald will find the man in the wheelchair, the hub of Team Nature Strip.
“You’ve just got to think positive and sometimes that’s difficult,” Van Duuren says. “But you’ve just got to do it. This horse has given me one helluva boost.”