A CUNNING run by Jimmy Fox's The Wee Chief (7-1) saw him return with a win at Lingfield - after an absence of 226 days.
Fox's comeback king took Round 5 of the Blue Square Sprint Handicap qualifier (Div 2) and the series final will now be his obvious target. The majority tracked wide around the bend and got involved in trouble.
Kieran O'Neill was the only jockey to go against the grain and The Wee Chief scooted up the far rail to finish half a length in front of Picansort.
'He had a wind operation as someone looked at him and said he was choking - even though he still managed to win two races,' said owner Rick Kavanagh.
'This was a big fact-finding mission but if he won today we planned to run in the 0-70 here in a fortnight and hopefully get qualified for the final.'
