The Cleaner's career may not yet be over but he has run his last race for Tasmanian trainer Mick Burles.

Burles was told on Monday he had been sacked with The Cleaner to head to a stable at Mornington in Victoria.

The Cleaner has become a cult hero at home and on the mainland but his recent lack of form concerns Burles who has ordered tests and flagged retirement as the likely option for the eight-year-old.

He was understandably shocked to find out the ownership group intended to continue The Cleaner's career with another trainer.

"They came out and told me this morning," Burles said.

"I'm quite pissed off, but they'll get the same result they got before.

"They couldn't tell me who is taking him, so that's a good start, but I won't be taking him back and fixing him again."

The Cleaner had his first run back after finishing seventh to Winx in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in October when seventh in the Conquering Stakes at Launceston on December 9.

He was supposed to run again at Launceston on December 23 before heading to the Gold Coast for the Magic Millions Trophy on January 9 but both races have now been ruled out.

Burles said The Cleaner was scoped and had blood taken on Monday morning with X-rays scheduled if those tests showed nothing.

"He's been running off the track in his last three races and it's quite obvious something's wrong," Burles said.

"There's no heat, no swelling, but he's a very tough horse and can race through that pain barrier, but it's quite obvious that something's hurting him in the race."

Burles said The Cleaner was also not himself around the stable.

The trainer endured a tough spring with his own health issues but said he had been doing well "until they hit me with that".

Burles trained The Cleaner to win 19 of his 54 starts and more than $1.3 million in prize money.