Eric The Viking remained on the minimum weight for Saturday's big race because the Koral winner went penalty-free for the National, which means another penalty will be added to the 19 points he received the previous week.
Regardless of any handicap, Eric The Viking is now off for a spell until next year. Bidlake decided before the Riccarton carnival that it would be asking too much of the horse to carry a decent weight into Ellerslie's Great Northern at his first time over the Hill.
He goes home tomorrow and straight into the paddock. Not that Saturday's jaunt took anything at all from the horse - he looked comfortable in the lead throughout and did not have to be extended.
"You can't believe how well he came out of the race," said Bidlake. "Ninety minutes later I put him in the paddock and he was straight into beating up his paddock mate, which is what he does."
A predictable path was then followed - celebratory alcohol and lofty thoughts. "He's not good jumping put-up fences, he's much better with live fences, so at two o'clock this morning I thought of Cheltenham."
Unquestionably the world's finest jumping carnival, Cheltenham spans four consecutive days in mid-March with the crown jewel, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, run on the final day. A quarter of a millions fans attend the four days, which offers up 3.8 million ($7.5 million) in prizemoney.
"It might only be two-o'clock-in-the-morning talk and some people will say it's madness, but I love having a crack at things people say can't be done. I love having a go.
"These horses [Europeans] come down for the Melbourne Cup in droves these days so travelling horses can't be that difficult."
Bidlake says he will look at the possibility of gaining a sponsor for a possible Cheltenham attempt.
"But first I'm going to talk to Wheels [John Wheeler], Rogey [Graeme Rogerson] and Mrs Browne [Ann Browne], three fabulous horse people whose opinions I value."
Wheeler is well equipped to provide an opinion - he knows as much as anyone about travelling horses internationally and knows Eric The Viking well, having taught the horse to jump for Bidlake when his flat career came to a halt.
For his trouble, Wheeler had to watch on Saturday as Eric The Viking beat Athenry, the horse Wheeler himself owns. But as a true jumping advocate, Wheeler would have been pleased with the result.
You might think Shaun Phelan's hand would shake with guilt when he collects his money for winning the Grand National on Eric The Viking.
The win was so easy Phelan had to merely sit there and watch it happen.
However, it's not always that easy. It's less than a year since Phelan lay on the Te Rapa track in agony with a shattered jaw and two fractured vertebrae after being badly trampled.
The life of a jumps jockey is a never-ending roller-coaster - and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Phelan hopes Eric The Viking's win will convince more owners to turn their horses into jumpers when their flat career appears to be over.
"This horse is a great example; he couldn't win beyond a mile on the flat and now he could stay all day.
"He hadn't won a race in four years and now he's won a Grand National. It's an incentive for others to jump their horses."
Eric The Viking at no stage looked under pressure on Saturday, which is exactly how Phelan read the race.
"The first lap he was actually going too slow in front for him - the faster he goes the better he jumps."
