BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle |
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| Grade 1, Newcastle 14:10 £115,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 216y, Class 1  |
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1 Sir Gino 6/5J
2
Lump Sum 11/1
3
Kihavah 25/1
7 ran NR: Brentford Hope, Colonel Mustard
Distances: 8l, 4½l, 1½l Time: 3m 47.21s (fast by 1.79s)
💛🖤We enjoyed that! Sir Gino cruises around @NewcastleRaces under @NdeBoinville before quickening away from his rivals to give us a 9th Fighting Fifth 🏆 Very well done to the Donnellys. pic.twitter.com/0l7v9bu6sC
— Nicky Henderson (@sevenbarrows) November 30, 2024
Sir Gino delivered a spectacular performance, creating a "conundrum" for his trainer, Nicky Henderson. Initially, this race was meant for his superstar stablemate, Constitution Hill, before a setback led Sir Gino to step in as the super-sub for the Seven Barrows yard.
The unbeaten four-year-old was originally planned to go novice chasing, and his jump two fences from home suggested he would excel in that role. However, Sir Gino galloped ahead of his rivals down the straight, pulling away after the last fence. Nico de Boinville, riding the 6-5 joint-favourite, celebrated triumphantly at the finish line. Market rival Mystical Power was a disappointment, with Mark Walsh showing concern after the fourth-last aboard Willie Mullins’ five-year-old.
De Boinville was suitably impressed, saying, “First of all, I'd like to thank the racecourse for the effort they made with the ground, they got it right, so well played. He was fresh early on and jumped great. He just missed one going down the side, but that was only after I pulled him out wide. After that, he seemed to learn. He pinged all of them up the straight and finished off well. The atmosphere here was amazing. He’s a very talented horse, and we’ve always known that. To come and do it like that is impressive. You could see why we think he’s going to be a chaser, he’s got scope to burn.”
Henderson, speaking at Newbury, told ITV Racing, “He’s very, very good – we’ve always believed it. He has to prove it, and I think he’s taken another step in the right direction. He’s a seriously talented horse. It’s a relief because we’ve been vocal in our opinion, but they have to go and do it. If you think he’s good, he’s got to prove it.”
When asked about the possibility of Sir Gino switching to chasing, Henderson added, “He’s so good at it. You haven’t seen a horse over fences like that. It’s unbelievable. We’ve been fortunate to have quite a few good two-milers, and he’s as good as I’ve seen. We’ll see how things pan out. We’re not going into the Constitution Hill situation here because it’s pointless – he’s fine. But we have a conundrum. There’s the Christmas Hurdle, and don’t forget Joe (Donnelly) owns State Man as well, so we need to play our cards right. This race suggests we might not need to go chasing this year.”
Sir Gino’s exceptional display has given Henderson much to consider, highlighting the horse's incredible potential and versatility.
BetMGM Fighting Fifth Hurdle
£115,000 guaranteed, 4yo plus, 1m 7f 216y, Class 1
7 ran
Going: Good
POS. DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 Sir Gino 4 11-10 Nicky Henderson Nico de Boinville 6/5J
2 8 Lump Sum 6 11-10 Sam Thomas Dylan Johnston 11/1
3 4½ Kihavah 7 11-10 Adrian Paul Keatley Sean Bowen 25/1
4 1½ Tellherthename 5 11-10 Jonjo & A J O'Neill Kielan Woods 18/1
5 2 Take No Chances 6 11-3 Dan Skelton Charlie Todd 20/1
6 17 Mystical Power 5 11-10 W P Mullins Mark Walsh 6/5J
7 5½ Benson 9 11-10 Sandy Thomson Ryan Mania 200/1
NR 2 Brentford Hope 7 11-10 Harry Derham NON RUNNER
NR 3 Colonel Mustard 9 11-10 Mrs Lorna Fowler NON RUNNER
