DAVY Russell will return to race-riding at Aintree on Thursday. Absent through injury since the Cheltenham Festival, Russell has been jocked up to ride two horses for Gordon Elliott on the opening day of the Grand National Festival.

Russell is expected to ride the Elliott-trained Galvin in the Grand National on Saturday, on what is likely to be his final racecourse ride. The 43-year-old old initially retired before Christmas only to reverse that decision within days at the request of Elliott who was short-handed following Jack Kennedy's leg break.

Russell had a strong book of rides heading into the Cheltenham Festival but little went right for him at the meeting and he stood himself down during Gold Cup day complaining of soreness. His decision to come out of retirement was also publicly criticised during Cheltenham by racehorse owner Michael O'Leary.

On Thursday at Aintree, Russell rides Zanhiyr and Magic Dawn for Elliott. He does not ride the O'Leary-owned Conflated in the Aintree Bowl, that mount going instead to Keith O'Donoghue.

Writing in his Star Sports blog, Russell said: "I’ve had a bit of time to myself since Cheltenham. Listen, things didn’t quite go to plan there and came to a premature end as I was still feeling a bit sore.

"I’ve been plenty sore enough since Cheltenham and it’s taken a bit of time to come to myself. I’m feeling a lot better now but will concentrate on getting fit for Aintree. I’ve chatted things through with Gordon and we agreed that was the right thing to do. It didn’t feel right to end it after the way things finished in Cheltenham.

"Looking back at things, Leopardstown all went according to plan with Mighty Potter giving me a fantastic day and then I just took that innocuous fall from The Tide Turns. The horse coming behind me just knelt on my back and got me under the back protector.

"That didn’t help me going to Cheltenham and that just set me back. I’d been bouncing fit before that, and it just put me on the back foot. Don’t get me wrong, I felt good going into Cheltenham, but riding for four days solidly at that level without a break was just too much."

Russell plans to ride in Saturday's Grand National, a race he famously won twice on Tiger Roll.

"Gordon has earmarked Galvin as my possible spin and he gave me some feel in Cheltenham when he chased home Delta Work," Russell wrote. "Listen, there is still a lot of water to go under the bridge between now and then and we both have to get there, but that would be lovely. Ronnie (Bartlett) has been a huge supporter of mine over the years and it would be great to give the National a crack."