Henderson mulling next move for Sir Gino

Nicky Henderson is optimistic Sir Gino will be back ridden on Monday, as he now ponders his options following the slight setback that scuppered a run at Newbury on Saturday.

The unbeaten five-year-old shot to Arkle favouritism with a sublime display at Kempton in the Wayward Lad over Christmas and was set to take on open company in the Game Spirit Chase to complete his Cheltenham Festival preparations.

However, he suffered a cut at home which saw him withdrawn from the Newbury Grade Two event on Friday morning, leaving the Seven Barrows handler scratching his head for an alternative port of call for a Prestbury Park tune-up.

Stretching out to two and a half miles for Kempton’s Pendil Novices’ Chase on February 22 or a two-mile event at Bangor were mooted as possible options by Henderson and the Lambourn handler is still formulating his plan.

“He’s OK and he was virtually sound this morning,” said Henderson. “We’re thinking we’ll be able to ride him on Monday, in which case we’ve missed nothing and we have a water treadmill he can splash around in for a few days.

“I’d be mortified if you don’t see him in a race before the Arkle and hopefully he will be fine next week.

“I was thinking of the Pendil but there is a little race at Bangor they have put on over two miles as well. We’ll just how to see how he is and that is the most important thing. He’s sound this morning.

“If he had to, then he might have to go to Cheltenham with only the one run over fences but it’s hardly ideal. I think he could and if you see him schooling, I promise you he is good, I’m not going to teach him anything by going anywhere.

“You’d like to think he’s got to go somewhere but I’m not mad about going two and a half miles. But Kempton is all there is, other than the race at Bangor and the thing about Bangor is it is after Kempton. It’s very kind of them to put these races on but the timing is hardly going to tempt a Cheltenham horse unless you’re in the straits that we’re in.

“It’s very hard and it’s so disappointing, not only for us but everyone here at Newbury who wanted to see him and we really wanted to run him. The race was ideal and the pace was going to be there to give him a nice rock and roll over fences, which is what we needed to do.”