Unbeaten Sir Gino carries the baton for trainer Nicky Henderson on the opening day at the Grand National meeting after Cheltenham nightmare


  • Sir Gino was one of the big hopes pulled out of the Cheltenham Festival 
  • The exciting four-year-old hurdler will be a pathfinder for Lambourn trainer 

Nicky Henderson says he will ‘know his fate’ for the Grand National meeting after Sir Gino runs in the Boodles Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle.

The exciting unbeaten four-year-old hurdler will be a pathfinder for the Lambourn trainer as he tries to bounce back from a disastrous Cheltenham Festival last month.

Sir Gino was one of the big hopes Henderson pulled out of the Festival after his Champion Hurdle favourite Constitution Hill was struck down by a respiratory bug just before the meeting. 

Then, on day one of the Festival, five of the trainer’s six runners were pulled up.

Also back for this meeting after being withdrawn from the Gold Cup is Shishkin, who runs in the William Bowl Chase, while Jonbon, who was scratched from the Queen Mother Champion Chase, goes in Friday’s Melling Chase. 

Sir Gino runs in the Boodles Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree on Thursday

Sir Gino runs in the Boodles Anniversary Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree on Thursday

Henderson said: ‘It’s very much up to Sir Gino as the first to carry the baton for us since coming out of an enforced hibernation.

‘Everybody knows how much we like this horse. I simply didn’t want to risk running him in the Triumph (Hurdle at Cheltenham). You could say I sort of lost my bottle but it wasn’t worth the risk because running there could’ve set him back a lot. His work has been excellent and I don’t think the ground will be an issue because he won on heavy (in France). Shishkin is also in great shape at home and I am hopeful of a bold show.’

Shishkin’s big rival is Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up Gerri Colombe. 

His trainer Gordon Elliott is set to have eight of the 34 runners in Saturday’s Grand National as he chases a record-equalling fourth win. 

They will include Galvin, who had looked like missing the race because of the heavy ground which Elliott hopes will dry towards the weekend.



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