Nicky Henderson leaning towards Kempton option to give Sir Gino more chasing experience before Cheltenham

Nicky Henderson is considering running Sir Gino just over two weeks before the Cheltenham Festival after the Arkle favourite missed his intended prep at Newbury on Saturday.

Henderson has identified the Pendil Novices’ Chase at Kempton on February 22 as the likely pre-festival target for Sir Gino, who was ruled out of the Game Spirit the day before the race with a sore hind leg.

Despite the trainer admitting the Pendil trip of 2m4½f is "not ideal", he is desperate to get more experience into Sir Gino, who has run only once over fences, before the Arkle on March 11.

Henderson said: "If you had to go straight to the Arkle then you had to, but it's hardly ideal. I think he could, if you saw his schooling I promise you it's not going to teach him going anywhere. I'd like to think we could go somewhere, though.

"I'm not mad about going two and a half miles, but Kempton is all there is apart from a little race at Bangor which has just been put on. What would he learn from that, though? That race is also after Kempton and the timing isn't going to tempt a Cheltenham horse."

Nicky Henderson: looking towards Kempton with Sir GinoCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com)

After an electric chase debut victory over Ballyburn in the Wayward Lad Novices' Chase at Kempton over Christmas, Sir Gino was made favourite for the Arkle.

His price was pushed out to 8-11 (from 4-6) following the news of his slight setback, with his principal rival Majborough cut to 15-8 from 9-4.

Henderson reported Sir Gino to be "fine" on Saturday and explained his frustration of not being able to run in a race he won en route to Arkle glory with Sprinter Sacre and Altior.

"He's never taken a lame step in two years and unfortunately it was the night before last," he said. "He's fine, but he's got to get out there and run and I thought it was the perfect place to be as Newbury is a great track.

"The reason I wanted to come here rather than the novice at Warwick was to get horses who could give him a lead and go a right good gallop. Therefore, he wouldn't have had to go round on his own, and that's the one thing I don't want to do. 

"The chances are he won't be making it in the Arkle – he might well be but then that's because there's a shortage of pace – but it would be nice to go round and learn a bit more. He definitely wants to go to a racecourse and I'd prefer it to be for a race." 

My Pension Expert Arkle Challenge Trophy Novices' Chase (Cheltenham, March 11)
Paddy Power: 8-11 Sir Gino, 15-8 Majborough, 10 L'Eau Du Sud, 14 Mistergif, 20 Firefox, Ile Atlantique, 25 bar

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