Nicky Henderson has issued a relatively positive bulletin on stable star Sir Gino who sustained a pelvic injury at Cheltenham on Saturday.
The Grade 2 International Hurdle [Unibet Hurdle] had been widely anticipated with Sir Gino - regarded by some as the best NH horse in training - taking on last year's Cheltenham Festival winner and fellow Champion Hurdle aspirant The New Lion but the mood quickly deflated when Nico de Boinville pulled Sir Gino up soon after jumping the third last.
Sir Gino was able to walk into the horse ambulance and his trainer reported that evening that Sir Gino was 'comfortable and stable' at the Three Counties Veterinary Clinic.
Henderson provided an update on Sunday, telling the Racing Post: "George Daly [assistant] has just been to see him and has sent me a photograph of him. He's had a comfortable night, although there was a bit when he wasn't. There are two fractured lines, but he's comfortable and he'll stay there for a few days until he's able to move, and then he'll come back to Lambourn.
"There's every chance he could make a good recovery, but the poor boy spent most of last year in hospital, and he's going to spend most of it there this year as well. He wants to be at home, and everyone is doing everything they possibly can.
"He won't race again this season. I think it'll be many months before we know whatever the future holds for him, but horses do mend from this. It's a long one, though. Pelvic injuries are, unfortunately, not a rarity, but how and what he did nobody will ever know. We've just got to hope and pray.
"They didn't unload him on the racecourse because they wanted to get him straight to the hospital. He's done very well and, so far, everyone is happy with how he's coping with it. He's in safe hands, but the sooner we can get him home, the better."
Fortune hasn't smiled on Sir Gino who has yet to appear at the Cheltenham Festival with injury striking last season and this while in 2024 the Henderson stable was under a cloud and a number of the yard's horses were ruled out at the last minute.
The good news, if it can be called such, is that the injury is unrelated to the one that derailed Sir Gino's novice chase campaign last term with Henderson adding: "This is the opposite hind leg to the problem we had last year, and it's completely unrelated.
"He spent six weeks of last season in hospital and he came out of it remarkably well. He's a poor boy and he doesn't deserve it – neither do the Donnellys or anyone else for that matter. Everyone's pretty shook, but everyone has been wonderful with their messages of support."
