Peter Bamford is back training horses but no matter how many winners he claims in the future he has already won the biggest race of his life.

Nearly four years ago Bamford suffered a major health scare when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Life as he knew it changed forever.

“It wasn’t too good, but I got through it pretty well,” Bamford said on TABradio’s The Sports Daily.

“I had a bit of chemotherapy, radiation and had an operation.

“I lost about 30kg, but managed to get through and only the good die young as they say.”

If confronting an insidious and deadly disease was not rough enough for Bamford, he suffered another cruel blow.

“My partner had cancer at the same time as me which was very tough for the pair of us,” Bamford said.

“Unfortunately after a long and brave battle she lost her life and I managed to pull through.”

Despite the emotional and distressing setback, Bamford said surviving a cancer scare gave him a different perspective on life.

“You appreciate life a lot more and live every day,” Bamford said.

“It makes you look at everything and how you live it.

“You appreciate things a lot more and show more compassion.

“You are a lot more relaxed and smell the roses a bit more.”

Bamford’s renewed approach led him on a journey overseas where as fate would have it he found love again.

“I started to travel the world and on my travels I met a lovely young Canadian lady,” Bamford said.

“I jumped on a cruise ship to Canada and stayed there for about seven months.

“We have now come back to Australia and I thought I would get my trainer’s license and show her the north.

“We are going to do a couple of meetings in Carnarvon then head to Broome and show Tracy our beautiful coast.

“It’s amazing how things can come out good on the other side.”

Bamford will saddle Life Of Crime, Moonlight Rain, Mystery, Zolas, China Miss, Dream To Dance, Diamonds Uncut and Scarfone Star at Carnarvon’s season-opening meeting on Saturday.

“Scarfone Star has been working really good and might be worth an each way bet,” Bamford said.

RWWA: Julio Santarelli