Nicky Henderson admits the next few weeks will be "crucial" for Simonsig as connections mull over their options.
The 10-year-old has only run once since winning the Arkle in 2013 and while i t appeared his many problems were behind him when showing all his old enthusiasm behind stablemate Bobs Worth over hurdles at Aintree in November, he has since been struck down with further problems.
Simonsig is quoted in the markets for both the Ryanair Chase and the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival but Henderson admits he is unsure as to what the future holds.
"We're just going to have to bide our time and see how it goes," the Seven Barrows handler told At The Races.
"We've been fighting an uphill battle for quite a while now and we're just about sort of at decision time to say we either can or we can't.
"He looks great, but his skeletal design - I don't know, he must have been put together on a Friday night. They've put the engine in and forgot to give him the body to carry it.
"When it's going it's unbeatable and we were seeing all that early on in the year, but it's been terrible stop-start.
"The next few weeks are crucial."