Simply Dashing has been tubed in a bid to cure his breathing problems and could reappear at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
The Tim Easterby-trained nine-year-old was pulled up last time out in the Pillar Properties Chase won by Looks Like Trouble at Cheltenham last month.
A very useful performer when he is right, Simply Dashing has had several soft palate operations but none appears to have been entirely successful and he has not found his old sparkle this season.
Easterby's father Peter said today: "He was tubed about three weeks ago now and is ready to run when the ground comes right for him.
"In the old days horses could be tubed and ready to run almost the next day but now you have to wait a week or so for whatever they use to freeze the area to wear off."
He went on: "We don't think that he really gets three and a quarter miles at Cheltenham so he could go for the two-mile-five-furlong handicap (Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase).
"He worked very well this morning and seems in very good form, let's hope the operation has done the trick and he takes to it."
There had been the temptation to take Simply Dashing to Japan for the valuable Nakayama Grand Jump on April 15th.
However, Easterby added: "They won't let tubed horses run there, he might have gone you know because he likes fast ground."
