Henderson confirms fractured pelvis for Sir Gino

Nicky Henderson has confirmed after veterinary assessment that Sir Gino suffered a fractured pelvis in the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The six-year-old was the odds-on favourite in the Grade Two event and had been the ante-post market leader for the Champion Hurdle, but was forced to pull up just after halfway.

After being attended to by the on-course veterinary team, he was able to walk into the horse ambulance.

He had returned to action in the Christmas Hurdle at Kempton Park on Boxing Day after a year off the track enforced by a nasty infection in his leg which at one point had threatened his career.

However, he showed his engine was still intact there when beating the current champion Golden Ace with plenty to spare.

In an update on his X account on Saturday evening, Henderson said: “Sir Gino was transferred from Cheltenham to the Three Counties veterinary clinic and following scans and X-rays he does have a fractured pelvis. But having spoken to the great team that are caring for him they are hopeful that although this is obviously significant they have reported that he is comfortable and stable. This is great news to us all.

“The prognosis is guarded and further examinations over the next few days while he is there will be able to determine the extent of the injury and any prognosis for the future.

“Thank you to everyone for their messages and concerns which are much appreciated and we will keep everyone up to date with any further news, but the fact that he’s comfortable tonight is the most important thing.”

Henderson had said in the immediate aftermath of the incident: “They were able to put him into the ambulance, it’s his right-hind, it appears to be high up so there’s no lower limb fractures – it would appear to be a pelvic injury at the moment.

“He has loaded and I’d rather they take him to Three Counties veterinary hospital without unloading here and then they can assess and scan and just see where we are. Everybody is fighting.

“Pelvic injuries can be little or big, so we’ve just got to keep everything crossed.”

He added: “I’ve been lucky enough to have many good horses but I haven’t had many like him, I can tell you that.”