Nicky Henderson waxes lyrical as 'frightening' Sir Gino slams Ballyburn on stunning chasing debut

Nicky Henderson inflicted an emphatic defeat on Willie Mullins for the second successive day at Kempton as Sir Gino trounced Ballyburn in the Ladbrokes Wayward Lad Novices' Chase.

The race was dubbed as the tantalising second course to the duel served up by Constitution Hill and Lossiemouth in Thursday's Christmas Hurdle, and a fight between racing's two heavyweight trainers again looked on as the pair matched strides and traded positions in the back straight.

Visibility was reduced due to fog, but a gigantic leap from chase debutant Sir Gino four fences from home still managed to elicit a gasp of delight from the Kempton crowd. From then on, it was clear Seven Barrows would again be emerging victorious.

Nicky Henderson at Kempton on Boxing Day

Nicky Henderson: "Sir Gino's always been a very, very talented horse and he has so much scope"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"It was frightening," Henderson said. "I think he learned over the first couple of fences and then leading wasn't the plan. We thought we'd sit on Ballyburn's tail and wait until the straight to have a crack, but he was just so exuberant and he was having fun.

"So far he's done nothing wrong and he's unblemished. He's always been a very, very talented horse and he has so much scope. This has nothing to do with Constitution Hill, but luckily it has told us who goes where."

Last month's Fighting Fifth winner stretched his unbeaten record to six and emulated his illustrious former stablemates Altior and Shishkin in winning the Grade 2, in which Brookie was the third finisher after Rubaud's fall at the last.

Sir Gino (right) jumps with Ballyburn (centre) and Rubaud during the Wayward Lad Novices' ChaseCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Both of those Henderson behemoths went on to win the Arkle at the Cheltenham Festival in March, for which Sir Gino was cut to even-money (from 11-4), but several in Lambourn are sitting on far fancier slips.

"We took him out rather early one morning just to have a little look at him over fences," Henderson said. "It was in the dark and we thought we'd do it before anybody else could see it. I promise you, by the time we got in, everybody backed him for the Arkle and they hadn't even seen it."

Racing Post Ratings: Sir Gino's chase debut performance puts him in elite company, so where does it rank?

There will be no hiding Sir Gino from now on with the Game Spirit, outside of novice company, mooted as a festival warm-up alongside the Kingmaker at Warwick. His rider Nico de Boinville thinks he already possesses the potential to match some of the division's greats.

"He's got an enormous engine," the jockey said. "The fences come up fast here, you have to stay but you have to be able to jump at speed, and it suited Gino. I'd say he's exceeded expectations. He's improved for a fence as well."

Ballyburn makes a mess of Kempton's final fence on his way to being beaten by Sir Gino

Ballyburn jumps the last in the Wayward Lad Novices' Chase at KemptonCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

On his vanquished rival, De Boinville added: "I'd say we'll see Ballyburn in the Brown Advisory. I had a good look at him coming up the hill. I just thought 'Yeah, he's a proper horse'."

It was a verdict with which Ballyburn's rider Paul Townend concurred.

"Everything was fast on him today," he said. "Ultimately, that was disappointing, like Lossiemouth yesterday. If you don't try, you don't find out these things."

Try as Townend might for the last two days, there has been no stopping Nicky Henderson.

Arkle Chase (Cheltenham, March 11)

William Hill: Evens Sir Gino, 4 Majborough, 8 Ballyburn, Inthepocket, 12 L'Eau Du Sud, Firefox, Ile Atlantique, 20 bar

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