By James Hall
If all manner of catastrophes come in threes, then Canberra jockey Carly Frater is hoping her recent serious injury is her last as she prepares to make her long-awaited return on Sunday at Thoroughbred Park.
Frater has had to turn to yoga to help get her body moving again after she broke her pelvis in three places in February when a young horse got spooked, reared up and fell on top of her.
Carly Frater in hospital after breaking her pelvis.
She was put in traction and spent more than six weeks in hospital and although it wasn't her only big injury lay-off, it was by far her worst.
Frater was also forced off the track for three months when she broke her leg at the beginning of her apprenticeship and she broke her collarbone 18 months ago as well, missing seven weeks of racing.
Frater was in hospital for more than six weeks.
"They say things come in threes, so hopefully that's my third and that's enough," Frater said.
The Scottish national is "technically a third-year apprentice" and said she never considered giving the game away.
"I was a little bit nervous about how I was going to feel getting back in to it but in the first few days riding it just felt normal," Frater said. "Its just like riding a bike."
"Richie Bensley had a similar injury to mine and he's ridden a lot of winners since he came back, he encouraged me to just go for it."
Frater has three rides booked for Sunday and is excited to jump back on board the Neil Osborne-trained Simply Striking.
"I rode him at his very first race last year and a couple of times since.
"I know the horse pretty well and I feel like he's improved, this is his first race this prep and I think he'll go well."
The first race meeting to fall on a weekend for the current season will include six races.
Nick Olive's Bring A Secret will come up against Barbara Joseph and Paul Jones' Chasing Charlie in the benchmark handicap over 1200 metres.