Sir Gino And The New Lion Set For Cheltenham Clash

Sir Gino and The New Lion are because of 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 however fell at the penultimate flight when beginning his campaign in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in late November.


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


The latter horse is a dual-purpose advocate who famously won last season's Triumph Hurdle on his launching over challenges and though he is due to to return to the National Hunt code before the summertime, his first trip might be either at Cheltenham or Leopardstown on February 1.


"Poniros remains in a Cheltenham at the weekend, he is because of work at the Curragh on Tuesday," stated Sean Graham, racing manager to Poniros' owner Tony Bloom.


The New Lion (left) and Sir Gino, who are because of cross paths in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday (PA)


"After that Willie and David (Casey, assistant fitness instructor) will make their minds up as to 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 looking at it, we can go to Cheltenham and perform at a track he has won around before and there might just be four or five runners - or his other choice is the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.


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


"I think if he works all right, we'll probably be going to Cheltenham."