Triumph Hurdle second favourite Sir Gino being aimed at Trials day - and a potential clash with favourite Burdett Road

Triumph Hurdle second favourite Sir Gino is set to test his festival credentials at Cheltenham on Trials day on January 27, after he was not declared to run in a juvenile hurdle at Kempton on Saturday.

Sir Gino recorded the joint-second highest Racing Post Rating of 125 by a juvenile hurdler in Britain this season when making a successful debut for Nicky Henderson at Kempton last month.

Only Burdett Road, who heads the Triumph betting at a best-price 11-2 with bet365, has recorded a higher RPR when running to a figure of 133 when landing the Triumph trial at Cheltenham in November.

January's Triumph trial is one of two options for the James Owen-trained Burdett Road, who is also entered in the McCann Fitzgerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown on February 3.

Henderson said: “Sir Gino will almost certainly go to Cheltenham on Trials day and I’ve been pleased with him. I think a lot of him and we’ll see how he gets on there.

“He was very good at Kempton and he can jump better than he did. He’s a big, strong horse.”

Nicky Henderson: trainer of Sir GinoCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Sir Gino won a Listed three-year-old hurdle for Carlos and Yann Lerner at Auteuil before being bought by owners Joe and Marie Donnelly.

He will bid to emulate the Philip Hobbs-trained Defi Du Seuil, who was the last horse to win the Triumph trial in January and go on to land the final-day opener at the festival in March in 2017.

Henderson last completed the double with Peace And Co in 2015, while his other winners of the trial – known as the Finesse – were Apple’s Shakira, Protek Des Flos, Rolling Star and Mister Banjo.

Racing Post analyst view on debut

Dave Orton, analyst: "Sir Gino justified his lofty reputation with a clear-cut display under a penalty on this British debut for his leading new connections. The imposing ex-French juvenile already looks more of a chasing type and was clumsy at some of his hurdles, most notably at the last when nearing top gear. He's still raw and entitled to iron that out, though. Bookmakers were impressed and went as short as 5-1 for the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival."

Reaction to debut

Nico de Boinville, jockey: “Sir Gino is progressing all of the time and will have learned a lot today. It's just a case of keeping his mind on the job and keeping him concentrating as much as anything. He was just losing a bit of concentration but that's the first time he's seen a big crowd. He's a proper horse. Someone has to take on Burdett Road and we may as well give it a go. He's still a baby but is growing up all the time.”

JCB Triumph Hurdle, 1.30 Cheltenham, March 15
bet365: 11-2 Burdett Road, 6 Sir Gino, 7 Storm Heart, 9 Bunting, 14 Kala Conti, Kargese, Salvator Mundi, Salver, 16 bar

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