Sir Gino has been ruled out for the rest of the season, trainer Nicky Henderson has announced.
The five-year-old was forced to miss an intended run at Newbury on Saturday with what was described as a “small wound” on a hind leg, but that injury has now become infected and Sir Gino is being treated in an equine hospital.
In a statement on X, Henderson said: “Unfortunately Sir Gino’s situation has deteriorated somewhat and he has been admitted to the equine hospital.
“As a result of initial examinations at Donnington Grove, an infection has invaded the ligaments in his near hind leg.
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“This will require lengthy treatment that will sadly rule him out of any further racing this season.
“This is a dreadful blow to Joe and Marie Donnelly and everybody at Seven Barrows, but we will be doing everything possible to help this incredible bright light back to full fitness next season.”
Sir Gino won all three of his juvenile hurdle runs last term, although he missed the Cheltenham Festival due to the health issues Henderson’s string had been suffering with at that point.
He had been booked to go over fences straight away this term, but with Constitution Hill not ready in time for the Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle, Sir Gino stepped into his stablemate’s shoes to win the Grade One easily.
With the former champion back in action at Christmas, Sir Gino was then sent over the bigger obstacles at Kempton in the Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase, where he clashed with Ballyburn, last season’s leading novice hurdler.
He made Willie Mullins’ charge look decidedly pedestrian though, winning as he liked – and he was immediately made an odds-on favourite for the Arkle.
Henderson was keen to get more experience into him against more established chasers at Newbury but when he missed that opportunity, his biggest conundrum was which race to send him to.
However, that decision has been taken out of his hands, with the situation worse than first feared.
His clash with Majborough in the Arkle looked set to be one of the highlights of the Cheltenham Festival but that will now have to wait, with that rival cut to as low as 8-15 for the novice event with Coral.
Saturday’s Kingmaker Novices’ Chase winner L’Eau Du Sud is next best at 5-1.
“The premature end to Sir Gino’s season will come as a huge disappointment to not just his connections, but also to racing fans, as he would undoubtedly have been one of the headline acts at next month’s Cheltenham Festival,” said Coral’s David Stevens.
“In his absence, Majborough is now the odds-on favourite for the Arkle, with L’Eau Du Sud cut to 5-1 (from 9-1) second favourite, and Mistergif another big mover, into 8-1 (from 20-1).”
