It was not a winning return for Chad Schofield at Sandown on Wednesday but the star young jockey was happy to be back racing and expects to be in the winner’s circle soon.

Schofield had one ride at the midweek meeting, finishing back in the field on three-year-old Honey Bunch in his first race ride since fracturing a vertebrae in his neck in a three-horse fall at Cranbourne on June 8.

“It felt really good being back out there,” Schofield said.

The former champion apprentice spent six weeks in a neck brace after the fall before building up to his return to the saddle.

Schofield is aiming to build on his big-race wins in the spring after claiming the Cox Plate on Shamus Award, the Newmarket Handicap on Lankan Rupee, the Champagne Stakes on Go Indy Go and the Queensland Derby on Sonntag at Group One level during the 2013-2014 racing season.

“I had a great year last season and I’ve set the bar pretty high, but as long as I can maintain it or even improve on that I’ll be over the moon,” Schofield said.

“I’ve got a lot of nice horses heading towards good races, so I’m expecting another big carnival.”

He rates three-year-old filly Go Indy Go as the horse he is most looking forward to combining with in the spring.

At Flemington on Saturday Schofield’s rides include the Colin Little-trained Group Two Sunline Stakes winner Text’n Hurley who resumes in the Group Three Aurie’s Star Handicap over 1200m.

“She’s obviously a horse that gets over a mile,” Schofield said.

“She is fresh and had a quiet trial at Cranbourne on Monday. She’s a very talented mare now and she will sit out the back and will hit the line strongly.”