Sporting lovers, by their very nature, relish the romance of athletic resurrections.
We all adore the headline acts from the sports which we follow, but there's something about comeback kings that set our hearts totally aflutter.
Think Michael Jordan when he returned from the wilderness - better known as minor league baseball - and led his beloved Chicago Bulls to a second NBA title threepeat in virtual succession.
Think Muhammad Ali, who was banned from boxing for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War but bounced back to beat fellow legends Joe Frazier and George Foreman when nobody felt he could.
Think Andre Agassi, who went from hero to zero and then hero once more as his life focus changed and his competitive juices flowed stronger than ever in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Will Code Bailey, who found the winner’s stall at just his second start in two years, ultimately match these magical narratives over the next six or 12 months?
Who knows; but one thing's for certain, he's made a handy start.
Wind the clock back to the early months of 2020 and Code Bailey was on his way to something very special.
A late bloomer that thrived when joining the western district stables of Marg Lee, the hulking son of Christian Cullen smashed his rivals in the Bendigo Cup, recording a track record which still remains in tact.
He followed that dramatic triumph with a fourth in the Ballarat Cup, success in the Terang Cup, another fourth in the Hunter Cup and a second placing in the Group 1 Allied Express Sprint at Menangle.
Remember, if you will, these were Code Bailey's first 'real' runs in the Australian pacing big-time.
Sadly, the big boy was struck down soon afterward, but all indications are, at eight years of age, he's not done with the dream of top-line, feature race glory.
Let's hope not, anyhow.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.