Sir Gino And The Brand-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 triumph 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 but fell at the penultimate flight when beginning his campaign in the Fighting Fifth at Newcastle in late November.


Those 2 horses are most likely to head the market, with the last 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 famously won last season's Triumph Hurdle on his debut over barriers and though he is because of to go back to the National Hunt code before the summertime, his first outing may be either at Cheltenham or Leopardstown on February 1.


"Poniros remains in a Cheltenham at the weekend, he's due to work at the Curragh on Tuesday," said Sean Graham, racing manager to Poniros' owner Tony Bloom.


The New Lion (left) and Sir Gino, who are due to cross courses in the Unibet Hurdle at 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 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 actually won around before and there might just be 4 or 5 runners - or his other choice is the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.


"That will most likely be just as tough a race, if not more difficult, and there'll likely be more runners at Leopardstown too.


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