Quick Read
- Sir Gino, a leading National Hunt prospect, was pulled up with a suspected pelvic injury during the International Hurdle at Cheltenham.
- Trainer Nicky Henderson confirmed a right-hind, high-up injury, with the horse transported to Three Counties veterinary hospital for assessment.
- The incident has raised significant concerns for Sir Gino’s participation in the Champion Hurdle in March.
- The New Lion, trained by Dan Skelton, won the International Hurdle, but the victory was overshadowed by Sir Gino’s injury.
- The day’s racing also saw a course delay due to a hole in the turf and a photo-finish controversy in the final race.
CHELTENHAM (Azat TV) – Sir Gino, widely considered the most promising prospect in National Hunt racing, was pulled up with a suspected pelvic injury during the International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday, casting a significant shadow over his anticipated bid for the Champion Hurdle at the upcoming festival in March. The incident immediately shifted the focus from race outcomes to the welfare of the unbeaten seven-year-old, leaving fans and trainers alike deeply concerned.
Injury Halts Champion Hurdle Favourite
The Grade Two International Hurdle, a key trial for the Cheltenham Festival, saw Sir Gino enter as the clear favourite for the Champion Hurdle. Having maintained an unbeaten record in seven starts, including a brilliant novice chase win at Kempton in December 2024, expectations were high for Nicky Henderson’s star. However, shortly after jumping the third-last flight, jockey Nico de Boinville pulled the horse up, indicating a serious issue. The mood at Cheltenham, which had anticipated celebrating potential festival winners, became subdued as attention turned entirely to Sir Gino.
Trainer Nicky Henderson confirmed the immediate concerns, stating, “It’s his right-hind, and it appears to be high up, so there’s no lower limb fracture. It would appear to be a pelvic injury.” Sir Gino was able to walk into a horse ambulance and was transported to Three Counties veterinary hospital in Tewkesbury for urgent assessment and scanning. Henderson emphasized the gravity and uncertainty of the situation, noting, “Pelvic injuries can be little or big, so we’ve just got to keep everything crossed. We won’t know any more tonight.” The news was a painful reminder of the sport’s unpredictable and often cruel nature, with green screens quickly erected around the horse on the track, according to The Daily Mail.
The New Lion Claims Victory Amidst Concern
Despite the somber atmosphere, the race continued, and The New Lion, trained by Dan Skelton, stayed on strongly to beat Nemean Lion by a length and a half. The New Lion, himself a second-favourite for Saturday’s race and a contender for the Champion Hurdle, returned to a notably quiet winner’s enclosure. Dan Skelton acknowledged the overshadowing event, stating, “I’m a big fan of this sport. Sir Gino could be the best horse in training and we just didn’t need that. The team at Seven Barrows have been through hell and back to get him back on track and hopefully he is OK.”
Following his win, The New Lion’s odds for the Champion Hurdle were cut to around 5-2. Skelton expressed satisfaction with his horse’s performance, particularly after a fall in the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle. He highlighted The New Lion’s demonstrated speed, which was evident both in Newcastle and during the final stages of the Cheltenham race.
Other Notable Results and Course Issues
The day’s racing also featured the Grade Two Cotswold Chase, where another significant upset occurred. Spillane’s Tower, ridden by Jack Kennedy for the first time since his impressive performance in the John Durkan Memorial Chase in 2024, made a significant return to form. The eight-year-old gelding quickened past L’Homme Presse to win, finishing ahead of Grey Dawning, a Gold Cup prospect for Dan Skelton. Spillane’s Tower’s odds for the Cheltenham Gold Cup were dramatically cut from 50-1 to 10-1 by Paddy Power, signaling his emergence in a market still lacking a clear favourite.
The Trials Day card concluded under challenging circumstances, with the final race delayed by approximately 30 minutes. This delay was caused by the discovery of a foot-deep hole in the turf, prompting an inspection and a reconfiguration of the course. Jon Pullin, Cheltenham’s clerk of the course, later told Racing TV that it was a ‘single hole’ and that further work would be undertaken to determine its cause. The final race itself, a narrow win for Joe Tizzard’s Kripticjim over Taurus Bay, was decided only after a prolonged examination of a photo-finish image taken in near-darkness, further complicated by the need to refer to video footage, according to comments from trainer Ben Pauling and owner Harry Redknapp.
The day at Cheltenham, marked by both a serious injury to a top contender and unusual course disruptions, underscored the inherent fragility of elite racing careers and the unpredictable nature of the sport, where one horse’s misfortune can dramatically redefine the prospects of many, even as other champions emerge.