Sir Gino And The New Lion Set For Cheltenham Clash

Sir Gino and The New Lion are due to cross courses at Cheltenham on Saturday as both hold entries for the Unibet Hurdle.


Nicky Henderson's Sir Gino was last seen winning the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton on Boxing Day, a six-length success ahead of Jeremy Scott's star mare Golden Ace.


The New Lion, trained by Dan Skelton, shone at the Cheltenham Festival last year when winning the Turners' Novices Hurdle but fell at the penultimate flight when beginning his project in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in late November.


Those 2 horses are most likely to head the marketplace, with the last field set to be little as Kerry Lee's Nemean Lion, the Harry Derham-trained Hope and Willie Mullins' Poniros are the other entrants.


The latter horse is a dual-purpose campaigner who notoriously won last season's Triumph Hurdle on his debut over obstacles and though he is because of to go back to the National Hunt code before the summer season, his very first getaway might be either at Cheltenham or Leopardstown on February 1.


"Poniros remains in a Cheltenham at the weekend, he's due to operate at the Curragh on Tuesday," stated Sean Graham, racing supervisor to Poniros' owner Tony Bloom.


The New Lion (left) and Sir Gino, who are due to cross courses in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday (PA)


"After that Willie and David (Casey, assistant fitness instructor) will make their minds up regarding whether we're going to go.


"Sir Gino will be in it and so will JP's horse (The New Lion). There are two ways of taking a look at it, we can go to Cheltenham and run at a track he has actually won around before and there may only be 4 or 5 runners - or his other option is the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.


"That will most likely be just as hard a race, if not harder, and there'll likely be more runners at Leopardstown as well.


"I believe if he works well enough, we'll probably be going to Cheltenham."