Bennet (22) is back at Omakau 364 days after her first career win on Final Wave on February 27 last year.
Things have changed since that day - Bennet has moved to Christchurch, where she is apprenticed to Michael Pitman, and she has amassed eight other wins in the last 12 months.
Bennet was in Waikouaiti yesterday at the Pitmans' summer base, but she is enjoying her time in Christchurch.
"It's been really good. There are lots of opportunities up there and it's a lot warmer than Invercargill,'' she laughed.
Bennet has already won seven races this season to go with her two last year, and her medium-term goal is to drop down to a 2kg claim (30 wins).
She has five chances to bring up win number 10 today, although it will be her first time sitting on at least three of her rides.
Her first chance comes in race 1 with Carmody, who is looking for his first win at his 25th start.
His last-start fifth behind Passito offers some hope, and Bennet expects the 2000m journey to suit the son of O'Reilly.
"It's his first time over ground,'' she said.
"It's been over a mile [1600m] before and placed over that, so 2000m shouldn't be too much of a step up for it.''
The Omakau track should come up as a dead rating at worst, and two of Carmody's five placings have come on that track rating.
Bennet is yet to ride Keepitasecret (race 3) on race day, but has worked with the Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained mare.
The 5yr-old looked good running third at Kurow at the start of a new campaign before tailing off slightly in her last three runs.
"She's been working pretty good. She's got blinkers on for the first time so hopefully that should help,'' Bennet said.
"Fresh-up she ran on really good at Kurow, and the track should suit her, so I'm hoping she can just punch forward and keep rolling.''
Bennet knows most about Fun Fair, which she rode to fourth at Waikouaiti on January 1 after riding her at the trials in September.
"We've been working her at the beach down at Waikouaiti, so she's had a bit of a freshen-up . . . 1400m shouldn't worry her and she's drawn good.''
Fun Fair is in another of the strong New Zealand Bloodstock Pearl Series races, as is fellow Pitman runner Queen Serene, who was an eye-catching second on debut at Wingatui in early December.
Clareville Flight (race 4) takes a decent step up in grade, being a rating 57 mare in a rating 85 1400m, while Lady Jessica (race 5) heads the other way, dropping back from the Invercargill Gold Cup to a rating 65 2000m.
"Apart from that last start, she's been racing really honest,'' Bennet said of Lady Jessica.
"She's drawn good and loves 2000m, so I think she's a good chance."
Tips from the talent
Courtney Barnes:
The Music Guru (Race 6, No 1)
Toni Direen:
Taieri Whisper (Race 6, No 13)
Jake Lowry:
The Man (Race 5, No 2)
Kelvin Tyler:
A Beautiful Knight (Race 4, No 5)
Terry Kennedy:
Lydia (Race 6, No 4)
