Sporting Life
Sir Gino makes a dazzling start to his chasing career
Sir Gino makes a dazzling start to his chasing career

Saturday entries: Sir Gino has Newbury and Warwick options

By David Ord
Horse Racing
Mon February 03, 2025 · 11M ago

Sir Gino is set to run in the William Hill Game Spirit Chase on Saturday, having also been given the option of the Kingmaker at Warwick.

A brilliant winner over Ballyburn on his chasing debut at Kempton over Christmas, Nicky Henderson’s charge is already a red-hot favourite for the Arkle at Cheltenham.

He is expected to head to Newbury where he could face a test against the likes of established older horses Djelo, Edwardstone and Matata.

Henderson said on Monday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast: "Sir Gino is good, we’re very happy. He schooled last week and he worked on Saturday.

"We’ve a nice dry week (forecast), maybe a bit of frost coming up at the weekend, but it’s going to be dry so we’d be hopeful there might be some nice ground by Saturday.

“Newbury is just a really good track for them isn’t it? I’m not saying Warwick isn’t, and we will put him in the Kingmaker too just in case anything happened at Newbury, but that’s the plan.

"For a big horse like him it’ll just be a good track – a lot of room and there will hardly be a big field, we’ll see."

Henderson also reflected on the weekend's events at the Dublin Racing Festival, including Majborough who is the one market rival to Sir Gino in the antepost books for the Arkle.

He said of the Willie Mullins-trained Irish Arkle winner: "It’s the first time I’ve watched him (Majborough) properly.

"His jumping could probably be a little bit slicker at times but he was impressive.

"He’s a fine big horse, as Sir Gino is, and they’re the same age, so it’s odd to have two five-year-olds like that coming right to the front at that stage of their lives – over fences."

A strong Game Spirit entry is completed by JPR One, Libberty Hunter and Master Chewy. Sir Gino is Paddy Power's 8/13 market leader.

Dan Skelton’s Henry VIII winner L’Eau Du Sud is among six horses in the Kingmaker where the others in the field are Casa No Mento, Riskintheground, Rubaud and Tedley.

"My nine-month-old has already ridden Protektorat" | David Power Jockeys' Cup Podcast: Harry Skelton

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We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.