“X Man” drives home health message

Kyneton trainer-driver Tony “X Man” Xiriha is going through a rough patch, but he’s happy if his story pushes other trainers and drivers to take care of their own health.

Undoubtedly one of the nice guys in harness racing, the popular Xiriha is now recovering from surgery for prostate cancer, and is calling on blokes “of a certain age” to make sure they’re blood tested for the disease.

“I didn’t feel sick, I had no symptoms whatsoever. When the doctor told me I had a tumour it was a bit of a shock – I wasn’t expecting to hear anything like that,” he said.

“I was pretty lucky, if you look at it. When I couldn’t get my regular doctor for a medical to renew my harness racing licence, I went to another GP. He suggested that I get a blood test before I came in for the physical exam for the medical, and when the blood results came back he noticed something wasn’t quite right.

“The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) level was high, but he didn’t think it was an issue. He did get me to get further blood tests each three months though, then three days before Christmas I was told the levels had gone through the roof and I needed to have surgery.”

Xiriha said he felt fortunate that, by chance, he went to a different doctor for his medical last year, who insisted on the blood tests recommended for all men over 50.

“It’s certainly something that not only men in our sport, but everyone should do each year,” he said.

Xiriha’s surgery coincides with Harness Racing Victoria’s annual awareness campaign for prostate cancer, and fundraiser for Prostate Cancer Research and services.

Leading reinsmen John Caldow and Mick Stanley are wearing special silks throughout September to highlight key messages and raise money for Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. HRV is pledging $500 for every winning drive by the pair.

And the harness racing community has rallied around the “X Man” who has been racing since 1989 and has trained and driven over 200 winners.

A GoFundMe page established by the Conroy family to raise funds for the 56-year-old has now topped the $23,000 mark. You can find the details here.

Lyndal Conroy created the page after hearing of Xiriha’s battle with prostate cancer one day at the races.

“I told Lyndal and Anne-Maree that I was a bit embarrassed and asked them what happens when no-one donates?” Xiriha laughed.

“We’ve been blown away by the amount of donations and weren’t expecting anywhere near that. We can’t thank Lyndal and Anne-Maree and everyone else enough. We recently used some of the first lot of money.

“I’ve tipped in a fair bit to help others over the years and you don’t think much about it-but when you are on the receiving end, it’s very much appreciated.”

Xiriha said he’d had a fairly tough time since undergoing surgery near the start of the month.

“It’s only going to get better, but it will take time because it was more complicated than the medical team anticipated. I was told it would be keyhole, but I ended up with eight holes in my stomach and a cut from the middle of my stomach to the groin,” he said.

Xiriha said this was his 10th operation over the years and he was on the operating table for nine hours.

“I’ve always woken up in recovery before, so it was a little daunting when I woke up still in the theatre in the Footscray hospital and had half a dozen faces looking down on me. That was a first!” he said.

“I’m now confined to home and not allowed to do much. Any lifting is a no-no for at least six weeks, so there’s been plenty of all sorts of television.”

Xiriha said while the specialists were confident they had got all the cancer, he had further blood tests booked for early December as well as appointments with a cancer nurse.

While he’s out of action, his son Ben has been working one for his dad as well as his own team.

Xiriha was known as “the King of the Claimers” for a good while and enjoyed a huge amount of success with pacers claimed from other stables.

“We certainly had a great run there for a while. Probably the best one we were lucky to get was All For One, who I think we claimed for $9000,” he said.

“He won 46 races and each year from a two-year-old to when he was 13, he won at least once each season. His best victory was in a Cranbourne Cup. Brian Gath took the drive as I was racing Gobemouche in Sydney at the Inter Dominion.

“Gobemouche was another we got out of the claimers. He was $14,000. He won a Yarra Glen Cup and the Casey Classic at Moonee Valley. I remember one night at Ballarat in the Coke Cola Cup he beat the mighty Sokyola.”

Xiriha also went on a winning spree with Repaid In Gold, who cost $7000 in the claiming ranks.

“We took him to Sydney and he went great. He won a heat and then final of the Winter Classic and then another heat and final of a M1 feature-and that was all in two weeks.”

Xiriha said he can’t wait to get well and back into the sport down the track.

“I’m just taking it steady though as it’s been a battle. And my wife Dale is making sure I don’t do anything I shouldn’t-she’s a nurse!”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink