Trainer Nicky Henderson has revealed that Might Bite is unlikely to race before March’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, after undergoing a procedure to help his breathing, the Racing Post report.

The 10-year-old, who claimed the King George VI Chase in 2017, has struggled on both starts this season, finishing last in the Betfair Chase and seventh in the King George, despite being named as favourite in both races.

Last season’s Gold Cup runner-up was reported to have bled after his run at Kempton which led to an extensive ‘MOT’. 

However, nothing major came to light following the 10-year-old’s checks, with the decision to have his breathing operated on to assist him made by a number of experts along with trainer Henderson. 

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Talking to the Racing Post on Thursday, Henderson admitted that after talking with a number of experts the group came to the conclusion to have Might Bite’s soft palate re-cauterised. 

We cannot find anything wrong with him. When you can’t find a problem, eight times out of ten, it’s respiratory. He’s sound and healthy. This is the only conclusion we can come to. 

We don’t know that we’ve got to the bottom of it, as it is not something we can categorically prove, but in our opinion it’s the most likely solution.

Cauterising doesn’t last forever and you have to redo it with a lot of horses. We put our heads together with a number of experts and it’s the conclusion we’ve come to. 

With the operation sidelining Might Bite for two weeks, Henderson also admitted that it is still likely the 10-year-old will be ready to head straight for the Gold Cup in March.