The Cranbourne Cup queen used a familiar home straight to signal she is well and truly back at the top of her sport, with Jodi Quinlan’s Saturday night victory a triumph over adversity.

This may be the sweetest of her four Decron Cranbourne Gold Cup wins, having come less than 12 months after suffering career threatening injuries when last Christmas Eve she was kicked in the side by a horse, which resulted in a lacerated kidney, spine fractures and a long road to recovery.

The tables turned in her favour in the cup when Quinlan picked up the catch drive on trainer Emma Stewart’s gelding Phoenix Prince, the first time she had steered the six-year-old.

“You never know what’s around the corner, I had no idea I would find myself on this horse,” Quinlan said post-race.

“It’s been a tough nearly 12 months and to be here tonight and everyone’s here, it means the world. I’m basically a local here, that’s my fourth Cranbourne Cup, I’m pretty thrilled. “

Throughout the race Quinlan was able to lie in waiting while her stablemates set alight the 2555-metre classic, with Tam Major taking over the lead from next-big-thing Hurricane Harley.

Soon after the bell Code Black emerged three-wide and Quinlan tagged on to its back, pulling the plugs at the final turn as Phoenix Prince set after his stablemates.

The four Stewart-trained runners were spread across the track and in the final 50 metres it was Phoenix Prince who got over the top, prompting an emotion-filled salute from Quinlan in what was just her second victory since she returned from her lay-off.

She joined Trots Talk this week to reflect on a difficult year and a memorable night.

“I had conversations both for and against for me to come back driving,” she said. “I was bedridden for a while and then into a wheelchair, had to start to walk again. It’s been a long road back, been nearly 12 months, I’ve been back driving the last three weeks.

“To come back and win a race like that was very satisfying. I was fortunate enough that I have been able to win four cups (at Cranbourne) and I started off there, it’s one of my home tracks, there and Warragul – I had my first trial drive there many years ago.

“It was a local crowd and the reception I got when I come back through the horse shoe and into the parade ring was quite amazing. It was very humbling.”

The result narrowed the gap between Code Black and the pack in the $35,000 Trots Country Cups Championship, with Phoenix Prince advancing to 14 points and second place, having followed up his Geelong Cup victory with the Cranbourne triumph.

Code Black (21 points) remains on top, with Emain Macha third on 10 points from only two Cup starts and Rupert Of Lincoln joining Tam Major on nine points courtesy of Sunday's Gunbower Family Hotel Gunbower Pacing Cup win.

The Kerryn Manning trained and driven Rupert Of Lincoln produced an extraordinarily tough-as-teak performance to record his first country cup win for owners Merv and Meg Butterworth, sitting three-wide and then breezing the trip before outstaying leader American Zest in the straight.

The Maori's Idol Trotting Championship is an even more hotly contested affair after the weekend's events, with only four points separating the top 10.

Magicool (10 points) advanced to a clear series leader courtesy of his third placing behind Tornado Valley and Dance Craze in Saturday night's Aldebaran Park Bruce Skeggs Memorial Cranbourne Trotters Cup.

Tornado Valley reaffirmed his status as Victoria’s top trotter, leading the three-wide chain and, when breeze horse Red Hot Tooth galloped at the turn, pouncing to salute by two metres ahead of Dance Craze. That pair looks set to have a fantastic two-way war throughout the Victorian summer.

Tornado Valley's win improves Andy Gath's trotter to seven points on the championship table, one behind Kyvalley Barney and Kyvalley Finn and equal with Jerichos Trumpet, Maori Law and Father Christmas.

Kyvalley Barney was another big mover at the weekend, having saluted in the Cohuna Car Sales Bill Poxon Memorial Gunbower Trotters Cup, after a perfectly patient steer by Josh Duggan, who gave his horse the last crack at them in a keenly run affair to salute for trainer Brent Lilley.

CLICK BELOW TO HEAR JODI ON THE LATEST EDITION OF TROTS TALK: