After thousands of racegoers feared the worst at Cheltenham on Saturday, the trainer says his superstar hurdler could make a full recovery
Sir Gino faces “a long journey” back from the double fracture to his pelvis sustained at Cheltenham on Saturday – but has “every chance” of making a good recovery.
The Nicky Henderson-trained star suffered a first career defeat when pulled up abruptly by Nico de Boinville after the third-last flight of the Unibet Hurdle, for which he started the 2-5 favourite.
Henderson confirmed on Saturday night that the Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned six-year-old, who was taken from the racecourse to the Three Counties Equine Hospital in Tewkesbury, had suffered a pelvic fracture.And on Sunday the Seven Barrows trainer reported Sir Gino, the 5-4 favourite for Cheltenham’s Champion Hurdle at the start of trading on Saturday, to be “bright” after “a reasonably comfortable” night.
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“I’ve spoken with the vets and they’re happy he had a reasonably comfortable night,” said Henderson. George Daly, my assistant, has been to see him this morning and sent me a photograph of him. They can see where the fractures are – there are two fracture lines – and they are doing more scans and X-rays today.“He looks bright, the poor boy, but he spent most of last year in hospital, so at least he knows what one looks like.”
Henderson ruled Sir Gino out of the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign but hasn’t given up hope the gelding, who missed most of last season after developing a ligament infection before making a brilliant comeback in the Grade 1 Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day, could make a return to the track.
“It’s nothing to do with what happened last year – it’s actually in the opposite hind leg and it is obviously high up,” he added. “In simple terms, he has a fractured pelvis – they are not uncommon and they can mend.“It’s going to be a long journey, but there’s every chance he could make a good recovery. He won’t race again this season. If he can come back he will and, if he can’t, he’ll be looked after forever.“It will be months and months before we know where we are or have any prognosis. Nobody deserves it, but he certainly doesn’t, and nor does Joe – and for [groom] Karolina [Wernerova], who looks after him, it was a horrible night. Empty stables are not much fun.”
The seven-time winner will miss the Cheltenham Festival for a third year, having been withdrawn from the 2024 meeting due to the poor health of Henderson’s string.
