After 420 days out of the winner's stall, it's fair to say Liam Howley walked away satisfied from Bendigo a fortnight ago after the talented Smoke Bomb recaptured his winning form.
It was the five-year-old's first start for Howley who, since departing Macedon Lodge in 2019, has set up base a stone's throw away in Kyneton with 26 horses in work.
Smoke Bomb first exploded onto the scene with back-to-back wins midway through last year before taking his form to graduate to city grade at The Valley, the very course he returns to on Saturday when he takes his place in the $75,000 Tony Gulliver Handicap (1600m).
And if not for the persistence of managing owner and Yulong Farm's Luke Wilkinson, there may not have been a redemption tale to tell.
"He had knee surgery and his form suggested he might have run his time after a couple of poor performances in Adelaide, they had given him time and the prep was not going as they had planned," Howley explained of acquiring the striking grey.
"Luke just rang and said 'What do you think, do you think you can find the spark' - he's quite fond of the horse and a lot of the other owners have a real passion for him.
"Having had a look at his form he seemed a really hard-going horse that wasn't finishing off, so just to the naked eye it was more, can I get him out here and give him a bit of relaxation?
"For the first month he basically just walked the property, did a little bit of work up and down our hills and flat work in the arena and then we just built him up from there.
"All of a sudden he just started to relax - because after the first month I was thinking 'I don't know if this is going to work'."
WATCH: Smoke Bomb wins at Bendigo
While Smoke Bomb started his time with Howley on the right note, his trainer isn't satisfied he's yet dealing with a furnished product, with his mounting-yard antics still less than desirable.
"He doesn't take to people too well, he's quite a headstrong, piggy type of horse but if you saw him in the box, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth," Howley explained.
"He reminds me a little bit of the Galileos, they get red hot before the race and start sweating but are still able to go out and do it.
"He doesn't burn too much energy doing it, he just likes to carry on and throw his head and I might put a second person on him to see if it does really calm down."
Howley has reengaged the services of Damian Lane for the rise in trip to 1600 metres, having drawn barrier 10.
"He was so used to just going forward and maybe in his early years he had the leg speed to put himself there and go on with it, whereas my view is he has a beautiful, big action on him when he actually stops thinking about it and that's the reason I have got a view he might get to 2000 metres," Howley said.
"He hasn't galloped, he's a fit horse and I said to the owners it may work or may not, but I don't see the need to hammer him, he's just ticked over and done some quiet pace work.
"Initially when we put this race on the radar I said no, because I thought he might need three weeks between runs, but he's just been nice and settled and happy.
"This is where he probably belongs in this grade, maybe slightly better, I'd like to think what he's showing me is he's back to genuine city class.
"Coming from out wide I'd still like him to come back a pair and relax in behind.
"There's a little bit of speed inside, hopefully he can just drift across and relax and nobody in Victoria gets them to relax like Frosty (Lane), so hopefully he can get him to switch off and the rest is up to him."
Having trained six winners from 25 runners since starting his own stable, Howley said Smoke Bomb is a good advertisement for what his boutique stable can achieve.
"I think it's a real good advertisement," he said.
"I have a really good hands-on team and I think it really speaks volumes for the work we do.
"He's not just a horse that we just put the saddle on, work and put away, he has a stretching program, he works with the physio, he gets iced every day.
"Keeping the numbers the way they are and the team they are I guess I'm able to do a bit more with them than the bigger stables are and for those horses I think there is a real niche there."
Smoke Bomb is a $9 chance with Sportsbet in Race 4 at The Valley.