The energy has returned and now Southland jockey Amber Edmeads hopes the winners will keep coming - starting at Gore tomorrow.
Edmeads suffered back and arm injuries in a fall at Cromwell in March, but her comeback was complete when she steered The Barmaid to victory at Winton on November 28.
Edmeads was back riding track work for her employers, the Dennis brothers, by late August but it was not until The Barmaid's one-length win over Peter Parker that Edmeads felt she was comfortable back in the saddle.
''On race day it took me a little bit to get my confidence back and get back into the swing of things,'' she said.
''Since I've had that win, I'm a lot better off than I was before - it's given me a bit of a confidence booster.''
And a ride aboard The Gallant Girl in the rating 75 1200m could be just the ticket to get Edmeads firing for the holiday period.
She rates the Gallant Guru mare as her top pick for her four rides at tomorrow's Tapanui meeting.
The pair combined for a third at Winton last month, although Edmeads felt the 6yr-old could have finished closer with a little more luck.
''She went absolutely super last start,'' she said.
''She actually got run off her feet a little bit at the start ... but she settled nicely in behind and she travelled and hit the line really good.
''If I had got a little bit more clear air coming home, I might have actually got second.''
Edmeads galloped The Gallant Girl at Wyndham earlier this week and said the mare hit the line well under a hold.
''She's drawn out a bit but she'll go forward. She'll take a trail if she has to but if she gets to the front, I'll take the front.''
The Gallant Girl has two wins under her belt from 15 starts, but The Theme is just starting out, making her debut over 1200m tomorrow.
''I really like her - she's working up good and her track work's been really good,'' Edmeads said.
''She's been doing everything right.''
The daughter of Castledale and The Melody had one public outing at the trials last season and Edmeads' only concern is the lack of a trial this season leading into tomorrow's race.
''That's the only thing that might go against her. She's drawn the outside gate - she'll probably be a little green but the instructions more than likely will be to get her out and go to the front and see what she does from that gate.''
The Believer (race 4) hung badly at Cromwell on November 30, but a subsequent trial seems to have rid the full brother to group 1-winning mare The Jewel of that bad trait.
''I got a nice trail in behind the leader. He didn't hang and came home strongly,'' she said.
''If he's half as good as what his full sister is, he's going to be a good horse.''
Edmeads expects the 1335m to be too short for The Bishop in the $15,000 open sprint.
''From that gate [barrier 2], he should get a nice trail in behind them and he if he can pick up a couple [of horses] on the way home, I'll be happy.''
