Ely Brown, Chipping Norton trainer Charlie Longsdon's Crabbie's Grand National hopeful, could soon return to action this weekend.

The ten-year-old, who has been out since picking up a leg injury at Ascot last February and then becoming sick in the autumn, was due to run at Huntingdon last Friday only for the meeting to be frozen off.

Now Longsdon has entered the gelding in handicap hurdles at Wetherby on Saturday and Musselburgh on Sunday.

The master of Hull Farm Stables added to his tally when A Vos Gardes opened his account over timber at Doncaster on Friday.

The dual bumper winner galloped home under Noel Fehily to land a maiden hurdle over an extended two miles and three furlongs by a length and a half from Vintage Vinnie.

Longsdon said: "A Vos Gardes has had a lot of problems, so I was not expecting him to win so well. He is an exciting horse for the future."

Meanwhile, Jess Benfield, who works for Longsdon is short-listed for the rider/groom award in the Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff Awards.

The finalists are to be announced at the end of the month.