Sir Gino won the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle | report and free video replay
By Sporting Life
13:11 · SAT January 27, 2024
Sir Gino (5/4) produced a sparkling display to burst Burdett Road's bubble in the JCB Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The betting ring suggested a big run was expected from Sir Gino with Burdett Road, the ante-post favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, weak in the market ahead of the Grade 2 registered as the Finesse Hurdle despite heading the market at 6/5.
Milan Tino, seven lengths behind Burdett Road in November, jumped off in front and was seven or eight lengths clear down the far side but the market principals always had him in their sights and the field had closed right up by the top of the hill.
Sir Gino tracked the leader and he, in turn, was followed by Burdett Road who Harry Cobden had under a tight hold.
Milan Tino was in front at the last as the challengers bided their time; Sir Gino landed running whereas Burdett Road was a little flat-footed, the turn of foot exhibited by the latter on his previous two starts was absent and he was made to look laboured by his rival who quickened stylishly under James Bowen.
The winning margin was 10 lengths; Milan Tino was a length away in third with Excelero finishing on his heels in fourth.
Betfair Sportsbook cut Sir Gino to 6/4 favourite (from 4/1) for the JCB Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March.
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Winning trainer Nicky Henderson told Racing TV: "He's a lovely horse, he's got all the attributes, he shows it to you and we were going to find out today and I think we have.
"He's got a lot of scope and one day he'll do that (go chasing) but we've got to go through the motions; he's a four-year-old but he knows his job. I think we have to really (go for the Triumph) and I don't necessarily think we'll run again before it, that's only the third run of his life but he knows what he's doing and jumped much slicker today than he did at Kempton; we've been practicing a bit unsurprisingly.
"I think we’ve all been quite bullish but rather reluctant to say too much in case we end up with egg on our face, which you invariably do, but he’s good. That was impressive I think, in which case he is pretty smart. He is a talented individual, and he always has been since the day we started with him.
"Jerry McGrath found him, and purchased him in France for Joe and Marie (Donnelly, owners). Sadly she (Marie) broke her hands two days ago. She was due to be here, but hopefully she is mending.”
"We went a nice even gallop," added Bowen, "and I was really happy with the way he relaxed, he was probably a bit more gassy last time, and I had a loop of the rein everywhere, jumped fast.
"Going down the hill I felt something come up behind me and lit me up a little but he was always controllable and I gave him a tug turning in and he was away and gone."
James Owen, trainer of Burdett Road, said: “It is disappointing to get beaten but that is horseracing. I think we have bumped into a very good horse there and it is going to be hard to beat him in the Triumph Hurdle.
“I was quite pleased with how my horse settled today, and he jumped a lot better. He just got a bit keen as there was no pace from halfway, but I’m not making any excuses. He will need to improve a lot to beat Sir Gino, but I’m happy enough we have still got a good horse.
"It will be different conditions and there will be more runners and there will be a lot more pace on so we will give it another go at him.”
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