It’s fair to say Brenton Avdulla is back in the groove after a frustrating time in the saddle.

After tasting success just once between November 29 and Monday’s Lunar New Year meeting, Avdulla has punched home five winners from his past 14 rides including a Sunday double at Sha Tin.

“Today’s a nice result to get two and hopefully we can keep building,” Avdulla said after saluting aboard Atullibigeal in the Class Two TVB Cup (1,400m) and Fast Buck in the Class Four TVB Tung Wah Charity Show Handicap (1,200m).

“Getting some more opportunities makes things a bit easier. It’s similar to when a couple of boys got suspended in October and November and I picked up a couple of nice rides, including a couple of [Hugh Bowman’s] that I won on.

“That’s when I rode the four-timer and then I got suspended. I went away [for Christmas] then came back and I couldn’t get a ride again.

“I’ve worked hard to get the opportunities back and a couple of suspensions has given me the chance of some good rides. I’ve been able to win on them but I’ve been suspended again today.”

Avdulla will ride at Happy Valley on Wednesday night and partner Kuroyanagi in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes (1,200m) at Caulfield on Saturday before missing the Hong Kong meetings on February 25 and 28.

The 33-year-old had never been aboard Atullibigeal in the build-up to the TVB Cup but unfamiliarity proved no barrier to success as he guided the five-year-old through a tight gap to beat Superb Boy by three-quarters of a length after favourite Global Harmony refused to race for a second successive time.

“I’d never sat on him before and, pre-race, I thought if [Global Harmony] didn’t come out, I was a live hope,” Avdulla said.

“I thought I had one of those books where things would need to go right for me to ride a winner, but everything has worked out well. I can’t complain.”

Atullibigeal’s trainer David Hall had been disappointed not to have picked up more than one victory with his five-year-old this season but was delighted to remedy that.

“It was a little bit disappointing that he wasn’t able to win the Chevalier Cup or the Panasonic Cup,” Hall said.

“He was unlucky in both those races, so it’s rewarding to get this race today and hopefully he’s not finished yet.”

Hall is considering making a quick turnaround with Atullibigeal and has a race at Sha Tin already on the agenda.

“We’ll see how he is but we might even run him again next week,” Hall said. “I think fresh legs at 1,400m is OK, but I think the horse genuinely needs 1,600m to show himself off.

“The programme, when you get to this level there’s not many options and the race is there next week, so we’ll give it consideration to backing him up in the 1,600m.”