Sir Gino: Nicky Henderson hopeful of star's return to Seven Barrows next week after fractured pelvis
Seven Barrows handler Nicky Henderson says he is hopeful Sir Gino will return to his Lambourn base next week after fracturing his pelvis during the Unibet Hurdle on Cheltenham Trials Day.
Wednesday 28 January 2026 11:54, UK
Sir Gino could return home to Seven Barrows next week following his injury at Cheltenham Trials Day, Nicky Henderson has told Sky Sports Racing.
The six-year-old star pulled up with three to jump in the Unibet Hurdle at Prestbury Park, with the vets reporting the Donnelly-owned horse to be lame in his hind legs after the race.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, the Lambourn trainer said: "He's doing well. I spoke to [the hospital] again and have been getting bulletins all day and night, which is great. They've had another comfortable night and he's weight bearing on that off-hind leg, which is very good news.
He added: "We are hopeful that they'll be able to pop him in the ambulance and bring him back to Seven Barrows some time next week."
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Sir Gino spent a year on the sidelines throughout the majority of 2025 after contracting a bug, and Henderson says the prognosis for his latest ailment will not be clear for some time, commenting: "I mean they say you won't really know the true extent of it for three and four months."
Henderson also addressed an overnight social media storm concerning one of his most beloved retired stars, Sprinter Sacre.
The now-20-year-old who famously returned to his former glories in the 2016 Champion Chase under Nico de Boinville was the subject of a GoFundMe appeal seeking contributions totalling £5,000 towards veterinary fees, set up by his current carer Vicki Roberts.
Henderson told Sky Sports Racing: "It's all got rather ridiculously out of control to be honest. He's gone down to our own veterinary practice. I spoke to them yesterday, they explained what we needed to do and I asked them to send the bill to Seven Barrows.
"I didn't realise what was going on until the middle of last night because I'm not at home. It's been done, it's a very simple procedure. There's a very small piece that they want to remove off the inside of his near-fore splint bone. It's a minor, minor issue.
"I told them to send the bill to me yesterday and it will come in on my monthly. They said he'd be perfectly alright in three weeks if he didn't have the surgery. He's fine, everybody's fine. I knew nothing about this thing until the middle of the night."
The 75-year-old added he had expressed his wish for any donations collected that could not be returned be sent to the equine charity, Racing Welfare.
