Henrietta Knight, who handed in her licence in June 2012, is set to make a low-key return to racing by saddling Calgary Bay in a hunter chase at Bangor-on-Dee on Friday, February 6.

Knight, 68, brought the curtain down on a glittering career, which saw her famously send out Best Mate from her West Lockinge stables, near Wantage, to win three Cheltenham Gold Cups from 2002-4, largely due to the ill health of her husband, Terry Biddlecombe, who died a year ago.

Since her retirement, she has maintained her links with the sport, being involved in pre-training and schooling, before the horses from her yard go into full training with Mick Channon at West Ilsley.

Calgary Bay, who ran in two Grand Nationals, had his last start in the Byrne Group Plate at the 2013 Cheltenham Festival, but he has been on the sidelines since with a series of problems.

Now a 12-year-old, he has been nursed back to health at West Lockinge with connections deciding to give him a crack at hunter chases – a move which will see Knight’s name return to the racecard, with amateur jockey Harry Bannister set to take the ride.

The trainer said: “He has not run for two years. He has had all sorts of leg and wind problems, but he seems in great shape now.

“Hopefully we will get him placed in a couple of hunter chases and then he will run in the Foxhunters’ at Liverpool.”

Bangor will bring back fond memories for Knight, who saddled The Grey Gunner to be the first of her 715 winners with her first runner in August 1989.

“It was so exciting,” she recalled. “The horse jumped so well with Bruce Dowling because he had fallen in point-to-points.”

Calgary Bay is one of two hunter chasers Knight is training with Port Golan also set to represent her West Lockinge yard.

Meanwhile, The Last Cavalier, the horse named after the colourful Biddlecombe and his swashbuckling lifestyle, is set to make his debut for Channon at Towcester today.

The five-year-old is a half-brother to Racing Demon, who Knight trained to win two Peterborough Chases at Huntingdon, but she believes he is more of a long-term prospect.

She said: “I think he is a gorgeous horse, but I don’t think he wants soft ground, although Racing Demon didn’t mind it.

“I don’t know how good he is as a bumper horse. Mick has not been sending out any great vibes about him.”