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 in 2015 when winning the Turners' Novices Hurdle however fell at the penultimate flight when starting his campaign in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in late November.


Those 2 horses are likely to head the market, with the final field set to be small as Kerry Lee's Nemean Lion, the Harry 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 launching over challenges and though he is due to to go back to the National Hunt code before the summertime, his very first outing may be either at Cheltenham or Leopardstown on February 1.


"Poniros is in a Cheltenham at the weekend, he's due to operate at the Curragh on Tuesday," said 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 trainer) will make their minds up regarding whether we're going to go.


"Sir Gino will remain in it and so will JP's horse (The New Lion). There are 2 ways of taking a look at it, we can go to Cheltenham and perform at a track he has won around before and there might just 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 difficult a race, if not more difficult, and there'll likely be more runners at Leopardstown also.


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