WA trainer Mitch Pateman follows late father’s footsteps as he leads premiership and chases Group 1 glory

Detailed summary

Leading West Australian horse trainer Mitch Pateman has a tattoo of the Roman numerals XI VII on his right wrist as a permanent reminder of where he has come from and where he is…

Leading West Australian horse trainer Mitch Pateman has a tattoo of the Roman numerals XI VII on his right wrist as a permanent reminder of where he has come from and where he is headed. July 11 marks the day his father, popular Mandurah trainer Michael Pateman, died in 2013 after a long battle with cancer. “I’m not gonna cover myself with tattoos,” Mitch said. “That’s probably the only one I’ll ever have.” Michael was a leading apprentice in the late 1970s and a highly respected rider, before taking up training in 1993. He guided the Finmiston sprinter Willoughby to Group 1 success in the 1998 Railway Stakes at Ascot and the Group 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The West Australian. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.