Sir Gino And The Brand-new Lion Set For Cheltenham Clash

Sir Gino and The New Lion are because of cross paths 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 victory ahead of Jeremy Scott's star mare Golden Ace.


The New Lion, trained by Dan Skelton, shone at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015 when winning the Turners' Novices Hurdle but fell at the penultimate flight when starting his project in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in late November.


Those 2 horses are most likely to head the marketplace, with the final field set to be little as Kerry Lee's 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 won last season's Triumph Hurdle on his launching over challenges and though he is because of to return to the National Hunt code before the summertime, his very first getaway might be either at Cheltenham or Leopardstown on February 1.


"Poniros remains in a Cheltenham at the weekend, he is because of 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 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 regarding whether we're going to go.


"Sir Gino will be in it therefore will JP's horse (The New Lion). There are 2 ways of taking a look at it, we can go to Cheltenham and run at a track he has won around before and there might only be four or 5 runners - or his other alternative is the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.


"That will probably be simply 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."