GEORGE Henderson, whose riding career was put on hold for five years due to horrendous injuries, made a fairytale return to the winner’s enclosure on The Caller at the Savills Heythrop Hunt meeting at Cocklebarrow, near Aldsworth, in Gloucestershire.

The 26-year-old had ridden 21 point-to-point winners, plus one hunter chase success, before breaking his pelvis and back in an accident following his finals while at Reading University.

Having finished second on his comeback in a Taunton hunter chase three weeks ago for his trainer-father, James, who is based at Buscot Park, near Faringdon, he struck on his first mount between the flags since May 2014 on the 12-1 outsider of four in the members’ race.

Henderson, who works in finance in London, said: “It is brilliant. It was my second ride back after five years.

“It has taken time to get through various things and to be fit and firing.”

Henderson’s success also saw him win the outstanding performance award of a £500 voucher from Dubarry, the Irish country clothing brand.

Lily Bradstock moved a step closer to fulfilling her dream of riding at the Cheltenham Festival with a clear-cut victory on Southfield Theatre in the ladies’ open.

The 11-year-old, trained by Bradstock’s mother, Sara, at Letcombe Bassett, near Wantage, needed to claim a second point-to-point win to qualify for the St James’s Place Foxhunter on March 15.

And, despite a mistake at the last, Southfield Theatre galloped home eight lengths ahead.

Lily must now obtain her Category B licence at Doncaster to line up at Cheltenham, but is relishing the prospect of riding Angela Yeoman’s charge at the Festival.

“That would be incredible,” she said. “It is what everyone in racing dreams about. He would love it. He has already won there and been second in the RSA Chase.”

Owner-trainer Robert Waley-Cohen, from Edgehill, near Banbury, has enjoyed all sorts of success, but he had never won a race by a distance until Lucarno Express spreadeagled his rivals in the six-year-olds and over open maiden.

The eight-year-old gelding powered clear under Robert’s son, Sam, with a yawning gap back to Winola.

Robert said: “It is great to have a winner with a home-bred. He has had a lot of problems with his breathing. He has had an operation and Katie Mawle has done a fabulous job with him.”