Hugh Bowman has found his place among Australia's elite riders and until recently, that was enough.

But an end-of-season stint in Hong Kong has been like a slap in the face to the champion jockey who has returned to Australia inspired.

His hunger was on show at Randwick on Wednesday when he rode a treble, a week after premier trainer Chris Waller declared him a "new and improved Hugh Bowman".

The jockey has no doubt his time in the Asian racing capital reinvigorated him.

"It really got me focused on my job," Bowman said.

"I was probably taking it for granted a bit before I went away but nothing switches you on like getting out of your comfort zone. Hong Kong did that.

"I had a fair amount of success which was a confidence boost as well."

Bowman will be missing from the Sydney jockeys' room on Saturday and in a stroke of bad luck, the horse he was heading to Melbourne to ride will be missing from Caulfield.

El Roca was ruled out of his scheduled return in the Regal Roller Stakes on Tuesday due to an elevated temperature.

It has left Bowman with three Caulfield mounts, all for Waller and spearheaded by Foreteller in the Group Two PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m).

An $8 chance, the eight-year-old claimed the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes in Melbourne last spring and has not raced since failing on a heavy track in The BMW at Rosehill in April.

Saturday's venture to Melbourne will be one of many for Bowman in the coming months.

His spring mounts include El Roca, Australian Derby winner Criterion and Australian Oaks placegetter Lucia Valentina who are all likely to campaign in the south.

"I've got some nice horses going into the spring," Bowman said.

"Hopefully I can come out of it with a few big-race winners."