Jamie Kah has opened up on her year from hell after completing a stunning redemption at the Newmarket Handicap last week.
Kah took out the Flemington Group 1 last Saturday, exactly 12 months after almost losing her life on the corresponding day last year in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, earlier in the day.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Jamie Kah details ‘worst year of my life’.
Stream your favourite races live and free on 7plus 
She was rushed to hospital and placed in an induced coma where she was made to fight for life for five days.
Last Saturday, a year on from the horrific fall, Kah was brought to tears after guiding Cylinder to an emotional win in the Newmarket Handicap.
Speaking exclusively to 7NEWS on Friday, Kah said it’s still sinking in.
“I still can’t really put it into words, how amazing it felt (to win), because obviously that time last year, it was the worst day of my life,” she said.
“It took plenty of months to get over it and recover after that. But Saturday — I don’t think a day is going to top that.”
The 28-year-old has no memory of the shocking incident.
Months later, Kah was caught at the centre of a white powder scandal, but was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
She said only now she has started to feel like herself again.
“It’s been a very tough year,” Kah told 7NEWS.
“I thought I was back to myself, but I think only now I’m realising I wasn’t myself last year — it’s taken a long time.”
Kah’s win last Saturday was the second successive win in the Group 1 feature handicap over 1200m for the royal blue colours of Godolphin after In Secret — ridden by the late Dean Holland — took out the race last year.
Kah was meant to ride that filly in last year’s race, but had to give it up after the awful fall.
The ride then went to Holland, who gave a faultless display on the filly, but tragically, just over a month later, died in a race fall at Donald.
Kah brought up a race-to-race double for Godolphin aboard Cylinder having taken out the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) on Traffic Warden.
And the tears flowed around Flemington.
“I thought I was a tough person, but I’m not today,” Kah said.
“This is for Dean Holland. I couldn’t imagine anyone riding that horse as well as he did last year and hopefully, he is watching down on us today.
“Today has been amazing and for Godolphin, they have always supported me.
“It is great to get over last year and start again and I don’t think any day will top today.
“I think in the last 100 metres I nearly stopped and started crying.
“I can’t really remember it.”
Holland’s mother Belinda was also in tears.
“It’s unbelievable,” Belinda Holland said.
“For what happened last year with Jamie and how Dean reacted, it was like Dean was paying her back this year.
“I think he might have helped her and in those colours, it was just amazing.”
