Options available for Ellison and Forest Bihan

The two-mile, one-furlong contest at the Devon track on November 7 is one of two Grade Two options the Malton handler is currently considering for the six-year-old, along with the Shloer Chase over a furlong shorter at Cheltenham later in the month.

After finishing second in a Grade One at Aintree on his final start last season, the Phil Martin-owned gelding made a winning return on Sunday when conceding weight all round in a valuable handicap chase at Kelso under Danny Cook.

Ellison said: “He was very good at Kelso. He had been working well, but it is always difficult giving weight away to good horses. It was a good performance. He was brilliant with his jumping and he never missed a beat. Now we have just got to have a look at what we do next.

“We are looking at the Haldon Gold Cup and the Shloer Chase.”