AS A trainer trying to break into the competitive horse-racing business, a test of wills between Michael Chapman and a difficult three-year-old was to prove his making.

The Market Rasen trainer’s mother, Dorothy, was the manageress of Lincoln Racecourse. At boarding school Michael learned to ride, and so from an early age horses were a major part of his life.

After a career in banking, in his late thirties Michael broke into the horse racing world.

"Riding and an interest in racing started from an early age for me," Michael said.

"As a hobby 35 years ago, I bought a couple of horses to train. One of those horses was called Rutland, which I bought for 400 guineas.

"It was a three-year-old Chestnut which I bought at an auction at Newmarket racecourse and I wasn’t aware of its history.

"Someone from the jockey club came to inspect the horse as routine. He said to me "he looks a lot like a horse called Rutland".

"I said that it was Rutland and the inspector told me to be very careful because they had tried to ban him, because he very often threw jockeys, got loose on racecourses and ran amok.

"I saw this as a bit of a challenge. He threw everyone off and he was an absolute nightmare.

"Probably through no fault of his own, he learnt to hate people. It took quite a lot of time, will, good staff and advice.

"It was a test of wills, but with a lot of tender loving care he came around and he won his first race at Toaster at 33 to one."

It was Michael’s first win as a trainer. Word soon got around he had worked his wonders with a horse which had been destined to race its last.

"People started ringing me and were sending me horses which were difficult to train," said Michael.

Michael and his wife Mary now have a pool of 12 staff who they call upon to help them look after and train their 25 horses at their stables across the road from the Market Rasen racecourse.

"I think 25 horses is the maximum you should have," he said.

"Once you get over that amount, you can’t give them the attention and individual feeds they want. Importantly, they also won’t have the freedom to train and run around in the paddock they need. If you have 100 horses, you simply can’t do it."

Success stories for Michael include Orpen Wide, which was bought by the grandson of world-famous psychiatrist Sigmund Freud – renowned journalist and comedian Sir Clement Freud. The horse was bought for £5,000 and won 13 races.

Aye Aye was also bought very cheaply and earned £173,000 for the pleased owners after winning 16 races, when running from Michael’s stables.

After three-and-a-half decades in the business, none of the enthusiasm has waned.

"I still get a buzz when a horse wins," said Michael.

"I have always enjoyed being around horses, riding and looking after them.

"Part of the game is enjoying the owners’ faces when they see their horse win. Their thrill rebounds on you."

Highlights in Michael’s glittering career include enjoying an audience with the Queen at Royal Ascot.

"The Queen put up a price for the winter jumping meetings at Ascot a few years ago and we won," said Michael.

"That meant we had an audience with the Queen for an hour and a half. I was invited up to the Royal Box where the Queen and her mother were.

"It was very enjoyable, she ordered me a glass of Champagne and had one herself. She was very interested in Market Rasen and she seemed to know everything about it.

"At the time, which was five or six years ago, she used to drive through the area."

He has had placings at the Cheltenham Festival, but winning the prestigious event rank as his top aim.

With the thrills, spills and glory of horse racing comes a lot of hard slog.

"The day starts before 6am with feeding the horses," he said.

"Their first feed would be a scoop of Scottish oats. Then there will be exercise until 11am.

"There will be turning out, grooming and cleaning tack and equipment – getting horses ready for the races.

"The horses have got to be fed four times a day. Race horses eat and drink an awful lot.

"There is a lot of paper work as well. Then you could be up at 3am if a horse has colic (a painful and common condition where horses’ intestines can become tangled up) and the vet needs to be called.

"There is no time for holidays, it is a 52-week a year job."

Off the racecourses, Michael is passionate about football. He is a director at Grimsby Town and despite the hectic schedule has a fantastic attendance record at Blundell Park.

He used to play semi-professional football himself for three years, for Wolverton United playing at inside right and turning out against such sides as the forerunners to Rushden and Diamonds. He is now a keen squash and tennis player.