The group 1 win on Boban in the Chipping Norton in March seems ages ago after supporting his daughter Whitney through the death of her husband of only a few weeks, Nathan Berry, his son Chad with neck fractures from a race fall and then there was his own injury when a horse tossed his head, smashing his face to leave the hoop sidelined for 10 weeks.

"You never stop learning in life but I got a crash course this year," Schofield said. "It was all crammed into a short period of time. It definitely makes you look at things a bit differently.

"I have always valued family, but this year as given me a lot more appreciation for what I have. I think everyone takes a lot of things for granted – our health, our success – and it is not a given.

"It has been awful time for a lot of people and not just me. I was probably not as directly affected as Whitney or the Berry family. However, it has taken a lot of soul searching. It is still there and still hurts."

Schofield's riding career has stalled this year but he is back ready to make his mark in the spring. However, the competitive Sydney market means he only has the three rides at Rosehill on Saturday. He is with the strength of the Chris Waller stable as he comes back from horrific face fractures, and steers Harrier Jet, Chateau Lafaite and Tougher Than Ever.

"I'm as hungry as all hell now but no one is feeding me," he said. "It is just a matter of time, like I tell Chad, you are only a day away from riding next winner. Then away you go."

It is amazing that Schofield has returned after he was knocked out by a rearing horse at the trials at Warwick Farm on May 20.

"He reared up and I was right out of the saddle," Schofield said. "The last thing I remember is thinking, as I was coming down, I thought 'gee this is going to hurt when I hit the saddle [with my groin]'. Then he tossed his head back smashed me in the face and I was out," Schofield said.

"I don't know actually know how many bones I broke but it was a lot. I broke my eye sockets, cheek bones, my nose, the nasal bridge and palate and I had a couple of cracks behind my ears."

The cracks behind his ears were the most worrying – Schofield lost his sense of taste and had balance issues. Medicos took a couple of weeks to discover the problem because of the extent of bruising to his face.

"I went to the dentist because my teeth were sore, shifted and loose and when he put me back in the chair I was a bit wobbly. That was a bit of a concern, as was the taste. It is all right now, but it has come back slowly."

Schofield is determined to make the most of his chances, admitting he had had "a bad trot" at the beginning of the year and then little luck during the autumn carnival.

"Since the beginning of the year I haven't had that much riding. I had the three weeks of the carnival where it was wet and everything I rode didn't like it," he said. "I don't think I have to prove to anybody that I can ride and the when the chances come I will be back riding winners."

Schofield hopes he can kick-start his spring on Harrier Jet and Tougher Than Ever but highlighted Chateau Lafaite as his is best chance on Saturday.

"If she comes back to her best form she will be winning," Schofield said. "She hasn't shown her best for a while. Looking at that first run back, she didn't do what she can do, that is get over-racing and do a few things wrong.

"Hopefully I can get her to switch off and relax. There looks to be a good tempo and if she can reproduce her best she will beat them if she does everything right."