For troubled apprentice Josh Adams, a comeback victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday was every bit as sweet as riding his first winner.The 19-year-old was outed for seven months earlier this year after testing positive to a banned substance, but got back to doing the job he loves with victory on Biggietupac at his second meeting back from the suspension."It's almost better than riding your first winner," Adams said."You ride your first winner and you haven't had troubles. You go through a bit of

For troubled apprentice Josh Adams, a comeback victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday was every bit as sweet as riding his first winner.

The 19-year-old was outed for seven months earlier this year after testing positive to a banned substance, but got back to doing the job he loves with victory on Biggietupac at his second meeting back from the suspension.

"It's almost better than riding your first winner," Adams said.

"You ride your first winner and you haven't had troubles. You go through a bit of a rough patch where it's not as easy to cope with and you go from being leading apprentice one day to being at the bottom of the pile and everyone has forgotten about you the next.

"To come back and ride another winner gives you that hunger back. It's great."

Adams won last season's Sydney apprentices' premiership and Wednesday's win on Biggietupac in the Flinders Lane Perfect Fit Shirt Handicap (1300m) was his first of the new season.

"It's good to get the monkey off my back and it meant a lot to me to get back into the swing of things," Adams said.

Adams said the enforced time out of the sport made him learn from his mistakes and strive to do better as he bids to rebuild his career.

"I spent a couple of months away from racing and did a lot of soul searching and thinking to myself," he said.

"It made me realise what I wanted and what I had to do to achieve that. I made a promise to myself that when I come back, if I come back, that I would give it 110 per cent every day from four o'clock (in the morning) until I go to bed.

"... I made that promise and I want to keep it."

During his suspension, which was reduced to five months, Adams reached out to grand slam-winning jockey Jim Cassidy for advice.

That call led to Adams moving into the Cassidy family home on the outskirts of Sydney for three months, where he worked for Cassidy on his property and trained alongside the champion jockey.

"It really made me grow up a lot," Adams said.

"Jimmy is a great friend and even more so now. He took me into his home and into his family and I was one of them.

"Seeing him go to the races and the way he is, and seeing all the photos and everything he's got at home gives me inspiration to do that and do my best."