Nicky Henderson's star hurdler Sir Gino has been diagnosed with a fractured pelvis after being pulled up during Saturday's Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham. The six-year-old, an odds-on favourite, is stable and comfortable at Three Counties Equine Hospital. Further assessments will determine the full extent of the injury.
Sir Gino, a three-time Grade 1 winner trained by Nicky Henderson, suffered a serious setback in the Grade 2 Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday. The unbeaten six-year-old, owned by Joe and Marie Donnelly, was pulled up midway through the race, prompting immediate attention from on-course veterinarians. He was then loaded into a horse ambulance and transported to the Three Counties Equine Hospital in nearby Naunton for scans and x-rays.
Henderson shared an update on X, confirming the diagnosis: "Sir Gino was transferred from Cheltenham to the Three Counties Veterinary Clinic and following scans and x-rays he does have a fractured pelvis. Having spoken to the great team caring for him, although this is obviously significant, he is comfortable and stable. This is great news to us all. The prognosis is guarded and further examinations over the next few days will be able to determine the extent of the injury and any prognosis for the future."
He added, "Thank you to everyone for their messages and concerns which are much appreciated and we will keep everyone up-to-date with any further news but the fact that he's comfortable tonight is the most important thing."
The incident overshadowed the victory of The New Lion, trained by Dan Skelton, who praised Sir Gino as one of the sport's biggest stars. Sir Gino's career has been interrupted before; he missed the 2024 Triumph Hurdle as favourite due to health issues in Henderson's yard and sat out last season's Arkle after a leg wound.
