Sir Gino, the ante-post favourite for the Champion Hurdle, was pulled up with a suspected pelvic injury during Saturday's International Hurdle at Cheltenham, casting a shadow over the Trials Day card. The Nicky Henderson-trained gelding, unbeaten in seven starts, was held up last of the four runners before being pulled up by Nico de Boinville shortly after the third-last flight.
Henderson reported that the injury was to the right-hind and appeared high up, ruling out a lower limb fracture. A later statement on X confirmed that scans at the Three Counties Veterinary Hospital in Tewkesbury revealed a fractured pelvis, though the horse was described as comfortable and stable. 'The prognosis is guarded,' Henderson said, 'but the fact that he's comfortable tonight is the most important thing.'
The race itself was won by The New Lion, who stayed on strongly to beat Nemean Lion by a length and a half. Trainer Dan Skelton expressed his concern for Sir Gino, saying, 'He could be the best horse in training and we just didn't need that.' The New Lion was subsequently cut to around 5-2 for the Champion Hurdle, with Skelton noting the horse had answered questions about his speed after a clear round.
In the Cotswold Chase, Spillane's Tower produced an impressive return to form, quickening past L'Homme Presse up the hill to win under Jack Kennedy. Trainer Jimmy Mangan, celebrating his first British winner since Monty's Pass in the 2003 Grand National, saw his gelding trimmed from 50-1 to 10-1 for the Gold Cup.
The card concluded in near-darkness after a 30-minute delay caused by a hole in the turf, which led to a course reconfiguration. Nicky Henderson had also withdrawn the likely favourite Act Of Innocence from the final race, which was won by Joe Tiz.
