NICKY HENDERSON has suffered yet another Cheltenham Festival nightmare – with superstar Sir Gino OUT altogether.
The odds-on Arkle favourite is in hospital with a nasty infected wound… as punters were left to pick up the pieces of one of the day one bankers falling by the wayside.
Tens of thousands has gone up in flames on the Joe and Marie Donnelly-owned five-year-old.
A Henderson statement said today: “Unfortunately Sir Gino’s situation has deteriorated somewhat and he has been admitted to the Equine hospital.
“As a result of initial examinations at Donnington Grove an infection has invaded the ligaments in his near hind leg.
“This will require lengthy treatment that will sadly rule him out of any further racing this season.
“This is a dreadful blow to Joe & Marie Donnelly and everybody at Seven Barrows but we will be doing everything possible to help this incredible bright light back to full fitness next season.”
Warning signs were flashing late last week when Henderson, who was forced to pull almost all of his runners from last year’s Festival, was scratched from his intended prep run in the Game Spirit Chase.
Awesome Wayward Lad winner Sir Gino suffered a wound in work at his Seven Barrows home.
Henderson initially appeared quite upbeat about the horse’s condition, eyeing up two potential races before his Cheltenham tilt.
But he had a ‘horrible’ update on the horse on Sunday morning and the worst was confirmed on Monday lunchtime.
It means Willie Mullins’ Majborough, who showed a serious engine in winning the Irish Arkle earlier this month, is now 4-7 fav.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Willie Mullins gives verdict on ’embarrassing’ changes to the Cheltenham Festival” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6362554705112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]While L’Eau Du Sud, who is co-owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, has been smashed into 4-1 second-favourite.
Sir Gino’s devastating scratching means punters have been robbed of what would have been a smashing head-to-head.
But ante-post punters will be the ones hurting most after staking thousands upon thousands on his chances of winning in the months leading up to the Festival.
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, said: “It’s really disappointing that Sir Gino has been ruled out for the season.
“He was all set to be one of the shining lights at the Cheltenham Festival and we hope to see him back on a racecourse in the not-too-distant future.
“William Hill punters who backed Sir Gino for the Arkle since New Years Day will of course get their money back, thanks to our Non-Runner Money Back concession.
“He had been a well-fancied favourite for the Arkle, but now Willie Mullins’ Majborough has assumed favouritism at 8-13, Non-Runner Money Back.
“On what he did at the Dublin Racing Festival, he looks like he’ll be hard to beat, but don’t rule out Saturday’s Kingmaker winner L’Eau Du Sud, who follows him next in the market at 4-1.”