On Friday racing’s worst kept secret – well one of racing’s worst kept secrets – was officially confirmed.
Sir Gino is returning to hurdling at Kempton over Christmas.
The same Sir Gino who looked a potential crackerjack two-mile hurdler when treating his rivals with contempt in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle last term and who was promptly sent chasing the following month.
He was electric in the Wayward Lad too, but the dominos have fallen – well Constitution Hill has, three times – in a different way to which connections were expecting.
And all-of-a-sudden Nicky Henderson has an opening for a live Champion Hurdle contender and so do Joe and Marie Donnelly following the injury sustained by their trailblazer State Man and Anzadam’s uninspiring second in this year’s renewal of the Newcastle showpiece.
So, it’s over to Sir Gino to lay down his marker on Boxing Day. And if he’s the same horse we saw at the very same meeting last year, then he’ll be favourite for the Cheltenham showpiece by the time he returns to the winners’ enclosure.
