Newcastle's Eider Chase in February is a possible target for Harry The Viking as trainer Sandy Thomson takes a selective stance on prospective races for his evergreen 13-year-old.
His stable stalwart showed he still had plenty of fire in his belly when outbattling Calett Mad - seven years his junior - to take the Scottish Borders National at Kelso on Sunday in the hands of Rachael McDonald.
Ground conditions will play a part in future plans for the gelding, who was once part-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson.
"We won't run him on anything unless it's good to soft or nearly that. Obviously, the Eider is a possibility and we'll just have to see," said the Berwickshire handler.
"The problem is if he runs in an Eider he'll be 10lb worse off with those horses. They will have a nice racing weight and he'll be out of the handicap.
"He loves it. If he goes in an Eider it's all just a bit of fun with him now."
Thomson reported Harry The Viking to be thriving after his latest encounter.
"I always felt he was well and he could go and run a race like that, but to actually do it - absolutely brilliant," he said.
"You wouldn't know he had a race. He's back and out in the field, he's great."
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