Brian Harding lightened the gloom at Catterick yesterday as he gained his first victories since his return to action after spending a year on the sidelines. Linden's Lotto and Fen Terrier were the horses that brought great joy to the Irishman as he tries to resurrect a career that was threatened by a controversial Jockey Club ruling.

At the end of February, Harding (25) was told that he must not ride for a year because of the skull fracture he sustained in a fall at Newcastle last December. The decision came even though he had pronounced himself fully fit for a considerable time.

But the black days were forgotten as the Cork-born jockey finally got himself back into the winner's enclosure on his third day back in action.

Harding's first two mounts - at Musselburgh on Tuesday and Catterick yesterday - had both been pulled up. But Linden's Lotto, trained by Harding's boss Gordon Richards, put matters right in the Catterick Race Club 1998 `Join Up Now' Handicap Chase.

The 7 to 2 jumped soundly for Harding and pulled away after the last to defeat the favourite River Unshion by five lengths. "I've been riding out for two months now and it's just nice to have a winner after all this time - the pressure's off now," said a delighted Harding.

Linden's Lotto's victory was especially satisfying for Richards, who has backed his jockey throughout his spell on the sidelines. "Rules are rules they say but the lad has been right for a long time in my book," said Richards.

"I've had to try to bring him to life and he was in tears on the gallops when he first got the news that he would be out for so long.

Harding rode the 65th winner of his career - and thereby lost his right to claim 3lb - when Fen Terrier won the Ampleforth Handicap Hurdle.