Double Thriller is due to go under the knife for a wind operation following his defeat in the John Bull Chase at Wincanton this afternoon.
Paul Nicholls's charge proved an uneasy 10-11 favourite before being outstayed by 14-1 outsider Wayward King from the final fence.
A length and three quarters separated the pair at the line.
"He seems to have a minor breathing problem which is giving us a bit of a headache and at one stage or another he is going to have a Hobday operation," confirmed Nicholls.
"He looks as if he he's not getting the trip, but it's not that, it's his breathing and Joe (Tizzard) thinks the problem is stopping him in his races now, and we'll have to make decision about him shortly," added the trainer.
Owner Reg Wilkins stated that Double Thriller will not be aimed at the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Martell Grand National this season and he will discuss other options with Nicholls over the next few days.
"Whether we stop with him now and have him hobdayed or wait until the spring and then turn him out for the summer is what will be discussed," confided Wilkins.
Wayward King's victory under Mick Fitzgerald may have proved a surprise for many racegoers, but trainer Ron Hodges was far from shocked. In fact, only the horse's generous starting price was a mystery as far as the local handler was concerned.
"How he drifted out to 14-1 I just don't know as we thought we had to take our chance as we certain to be able to beat the other horses and the favourite just doesn't seem to have run his race," declared Hodges.
"Now I've won that perhaps people will say that's why Mr Hitchins sent me those horses the other day," added Hodges of the seven horses who were despatched to him from Mark Pitman's yard stable in a well-publicised split between the trainer and owner Robert Hitchins.
Hodges stated that Wayward King's main target for the season would be the Mildmay of Flete Chase at the Cheltenham Festival, a race in which he finished third last March.
Philip Hobbs is hoping to saddle 100 winners for the first time after taking his tally for the season to 70 after Phardante Flyer galloped on strongly under Richard Johnson to land the second division of the Spettisbury Novices' Hurdle.
"Training 100 winners for the season is my target and as we now have the best number of successes for this time of year we have ever had I suppose it is a case of fingers crossed from now on," said Hobbs.
Chalmers Place, runner up on his only two previous outings, went one better in style when landing the first division.
Henrietta Knight's charge, ridden by Jim Culloty, had six lengths to spare over Quainton Hills after hitting the front approaching two out.
Cheltenham trainer Jim Wilson belatedly broke the ice for the season when Young Tycoon overcame a 663 days absence from racecourse duty to snatch victory in the Jamboree Conditional Jockeys Handicap Hurdle under Liam Cummins.
However the stewards found that Cummins had used his whip with excessive frequency on the winner and suspended him for one day (January 22nd).
Jockey Warren Marston maintained his 100 per cent record aboard Seymourswift when David Gandolfo's mare stayed on too strongly for Bold Dolphin in the Lillo Lumb Challenge Handicap Chase.
"Warren has ridden her twice and won on her twice and he certainly gave her an inspired ride there as she won the race by staying," said the Wantage trainer.
Martin Pipe and Tony McCoy were in double form after Big Wheel dug deep for the Blackmore Vale Novices' Claiming Hurdle and Spring Saint made amends for a fall last time to lift the Corscombe Novices' Handicap Chase.
