Watch: Christmas Hurdle could be ‘right option’ for Sir Gino

Nicky Henderson has schooled Sir Gino over hurdles with a run in Kempton’s Christmas Hurdle appearing likely in a reshuffling of the pack following the Fighting Fifth fall of Constitution Hill.

Sir Gino has not been seen since wowing on his chasing debut at the Sunbury track last Christmas, but with a switch to the level in the Seven Barrows handler’s mind for three-times Christmas Hurdle champion Constitution Hill, Sir Gino could be called on for super sub duties.

It is a role Sir Gino fulfilled at Newcastle last year when Constitution Hill missed the Fighting Fifth and Henderson feels a return over timber could be the sensible option given the current open nature of the two-mile hurdling division.

“He’s been chasing but he’s a dual Grade One hurdle winner and we could go either way with him,” Henderson said of the gelding, who was sidelined at the end of last season by a leg infection.

“He did school this week and we did jump hurdles and it’s the first obstacle he has jumped since his issue

“I think the Christmas Hurdle is probably the right option and we know Constitution Hill is not going to go there, I think.

“Therefore the race is wide open and it could be a nicer way to start Sir Gino off on this new expedition. What happens after that, I have no idea.”

With an imminent run over hurdles looking increasingly on the back burner for Constitution Hill, Henderson could soon be thumbing the Flat programme book to try to find a suitable option for one of the most popular names of the current era.

“I would say a mile and a half would be fine for him but I would have to find the race for him,” added Henderson.

“I would say going on the Flat is one way of going about it and it’s a very difficult conundrum. To be fair, the dust needs to settle down a bit more.

“He is a horse who everyone likes and we have to do our best. We’re well aware of the position we’re in after what has been happening and we have to think it out very carefully.”

Henderson conceded a step up in trip is likely for Jonbon after watching his Sandown stalwart surrender his Betfair Tingle Creek crown.

The nine-year-old was bidding to become the first horse to win six Grade Ones at the same venue in the UK, as over 11,000 flocked to watch the course’s most loyal servant serve up a pre-Christmas cracker against two horses who have had his number of late.

Down the back stretch as the field tackled the famous Railway fences and even over the third last it was the Jonbon of old, jumping with enthusiasm and travelling with vigour in the hands of Nico de Boinville, but just as in April’s Celebration Chase, Willie Mullins’ 8-11 favourite Il Etait Temps was too good for the hat-trick seeking home favourite.

“He was enjoying himself and he has gone out on his shield,” said a proud Henderson.

“Il Etait Temps beat him last year and it shows that we weren’t just tired back in April. We thought the Celebration Chase might have just been the end of a long season for us, but this proves that over two miles he is just a sharper horse than us.

“He might have had his speed blunted by age and that is why we put the cheekpieces on. We were always going to lead and the others knew that and we had to keep him honest all the way and he’s the most honest person in the world, there is never any doubting that.

“The Shloer (Chase at Cheltenham) was always a practice and it was a tougher practice than it has been in past years. He’s come on from there to do what he has today, which probably would have been good enough to win the last two Tingle Creeks as well.”

The Champion Chase dream may have dimmed with Paddy Power pushing his odds for that race to 25-1, but the search for an elusive Cheltenham Festival success could now continue and having shown tenacity may replace two-mile zip, Henderson is mulling the longer options.

He added: “He loved it, he jumped and galloped and got into a good battle and we managed to reverse the form with Dan’s (Skelton) horse (L’Ead Du Sud).

“You have got to be tempted to go further. We’re not going to beat Il Etait Temps over two miles at the moment and we could aim for the Ryanair or something – we’re likely to go up in trip.

“I couldn’t see us going to the King George and going from two straight to three (miles) and I would be very surprised if we did do that. Nothing is in or out and we had him entered in the Peterborough in case this was heavy. I’m not making any excuses today on ground.

“The Ascot Chase is a possible one and there’s going to be a queue of horses waiting for all these Grade Ones. The Clarence House is there as well if we did stay at two miles and I don’t know what Willie is thinking – he might have six for it, you never know.”