Two separate periods of rehabilitation followed which put the promising 20-year-old hoop out of action for a total of six months.

“I had a fall at Grafton where I broke my wrist quite badly and had about four months off initially,” Graham said.

“After the surgery I came back riding for a month and then found out one of the pins had moved so I had to go back in and have that removed.”

Despite the early-season setback, Graham still managed to register an impressive 39 wins between August 1 last year and July 31 this year.

As a result, she will be formally recognised by Racing NSW next Friday as the leading NSW country apprentice for 2017/2018.

“It’s the highest achievement I’ve done to date, but I hope there can be more ahead,” Graham said.

“It’s good to have my name on something like that and something to look back on.”

While Graham had given herself some work to do in the second half of the season, she admitted she never lost focus.

“I always had the goal in sight,” she said.

“From when I started riding I just wanted to be the winner of something and that was the something that was on the table.

“I had my sights set on that when I fell.”

While father Peter is a veteran hoop, his daughter admitted she never wanted to be a jockey until she started working in the stables.

“I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a jockey my whole life because I always said I wasn’t going to be,” she said.

“But I always had a massive passion for horses.

“One day I just started working in the stables and started wanting to ride trackwork, then I had my first jump-out and from there it was what I wanted to do.

“You could say I’ve only been doing it for eight months.”

Graham is in the second year of her apprenticeship which has already seen her gain rides in provincial areas.

“Hopefully a few more opportunities arise down there and I can get a few more rides and start using my three-kilo claim,” she said.

On Sunday, the 20-year-old will hope to replicate her success over her dad from their last meeting in Port Macquarie when she lines up against him on Dew Drop in the Port Cup Prelude.

“I beat him in my last race at Port so hopefully I can beat him again because it would be good to win that race on this horse,” Graham said.

A win in the Prelude would book her spot in the Port Cup on October 5.

“He’s definitely a chance,” Graham said of Dew Drop.

“He’s racing very consistently and is a progressive horse that is learning every time he steps out.

“He’s just starting to learn his trade; we’ve worked him out because he likes to get out that bit further, sit back and he really rattles home late.”

Sunday’s feature race jumps at 3.39pm at Port Macquarie Race Club.