Aaron Bidlake has ditched his plan of keeping Eric The Viking to the smaller fences on his path to Riccarton.

The Masterton trainer originally had a hurdling programme in place with a view to getting his Grand National Steeplechase winner in at the best possible weight for the defence of his title in August.

“He’s not competitive over them anymore and he just doesn’t accelerate after the hurdles quickly enough and the others are off and gone,” Bidlake said.

“He can skip over the big fences so we’ll just have to take our chances. The Grand National is his main aim again, but whether we run in the Koral or go straight to the National I’m just not sure yet.

“It would be nice to win it two years in a row and he’s very well and has come through his last race without a problem.”

Eric The Viking will continue his Riccarton preparation in Saturday’s LJ Hooker Manawatu Steeplechase in his first outing over country since a disappointing Australian campaign at Oakbank in April.

The gelding was run off his feet in the Von Doussa and was then pulled up in the Great Eastern Steeplechase.

“On the first day the going was far too good for him and I don’t know whether he just didn’t back up after that,” Bidlake sad.

“The rain came for the second day and he took over with a lap to go and he looked to be going well until he hit a fence and that was it – he can be a bit of whimp like that, he’s done it before.”

Shaun Phelan has ridden Eric The Viking in all three of his steeplechase wins and he will again be aboard the nine-year-old on Saturday.