Instead, the nine-year-old gelding has only recently chalked up his second career win from 99 starts, following a 41-month break between victories.

While that feature race win will never come, the bond between Tiza Nightmare and his Bendigo trainer Shane Organ can't be measured in wins and prize money.

"Without him I wouldn't be here," said the 23-year-old trainer, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.

"He's always here to help me with my MS - he gets me through a lot.

"People have tried to buy him over the years and lease him, but I've turned them back every time, I just love this horse to bits.

"I only paid $500 for him and now he's won two races and he's got five seconds and nine thirds and won over $27,000, not that any of that really matters."

Tiza Nightmare is the only horse trained by Organ on the Junortoun property of Gary Donaldson, who he also works for.

There's more than a trace of pride in Organ's voice when he tells you that gelding is officially yet to reach 100 career starts.

It has presented the young trainer, who originally hails from St Arnaud, with a dilemma of sorts.

"I'm talking to my owner, who is my dad, and I'm thinking about retiring him. He obviously wants to give him one more start," Organ said.

"He's been an unlucky horse, he's been running fourths and seconds and thirds, but he finally broke through, he added in reference to Tiza Nightmare's victory on April 23, with Rod Lakey in the sulky.

"You go back through his form, the favourite will always beat him, or he will get beaten by a nostril, or the race just hasn't suited him.

"He won for me at Ballarat in 2016. It was the night before I got my tongue pierced, so I couldn't even talk."

Organ was diagnosed with MS when he was 16. While he now takes tablets - as opposed to needles - to control the condition, he finds caring for his horse as the best therapy of them all.

"I have had a few horses in my life, but (Tiza Nightmare) is like the bug who's stuck on the wall," he said.

"He's just my horse for life."

Donaldson said Organ, who was previously based in Rochester had come to his stable on the recommendation of Bendigo trainer and farrier John McDermott about 12 months ago.

"He brought the horse down with him and last time in he couldn't quite crack it for a win," he said.

"But with Shane it's not about money and wins, it's about getting the experience and his pure love for the horse.

"That horse has the best home you could hope for a rising 10-year-old as he gets pampered every day.

"By the same token the horse has been good for Shane, it's taught him a lot about the industry.

"He was nearly going to retire him a few weeks ago and I told him I didn't think the horse was quite fit enough, so hang in for a couple more weeks and give him a few more runs.

"Sure enough he finished second at Stawell and then he came out and won."

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