Dan Skelton's The New Lion won the Unibet Hurdle at Cheltenham but the race was marred by an injury to Sir Gino.
Billed as a match between possibly the 2 finest two-mile hurdlers in Britain, both were biding their time in the four-runner race when Sir Gino appeared to land awkwardly at the flight at the top of the hill and Nico de Boinville pulled him up.
Harry Skelton was content to take a lead for as long as possible on The New Lion, a winner over two miles and 5 furlongs at the Festival in March, before he asked him to speed up approaching the last.
Nemean Lion and Brentford Hope proved hard adversaries, before The New Lion (9-4) ultimately got on top to win by a length and a half.
Skelton stated: "I'm a huge fan of this sport and Sir Gino might be the finest horse in training and we simply didn't require that. We're all thinking it and we just hope he is OK, it is essential.
"The group at Seven Barrows have actually been through hell and back to get him back on track and ideally he is OK."
The New Lion ridden by Harry Skelton (best) passes Brentford Hope ridden by Paul O ´ Brien en route to winning the Unibet Hurdle throughout Festival Trials Day at Cheltenham Racecourse. Picture date: Saturday January 24, 2026.
Of his winner he added: "We needed to get a clear round after Newcastle and Harry did exactly what I wanted him to do and held him into the bottom of all the dives. He was a lot more considerate today and even down to the last Harry is battling him getting him into the bottom of them as he'll require those dives in a Champion Hurdle.
"The unanswered concern with this horse is the speed angle and I thought he revealed a great deal of speed at Newcastle in spite of us ending up on the floor. He showed a lot of speed there also from turning in to the last and then from the last to the line.
"It will be a totally different race in the Champion Hurdle and they have actually gone round there at a crawl and I'm not stating I might have layed up along with them but there is some who could."
Harry Skelton stated: "I didn't even understand what took place to Sir Gino and the 3 people said at the top of the hill 'where is Nico?' and you don't want that to take place. Hopefully they are both OK.
"We simply desired to get a lead and Nico desired a lead as well and it simply reveals you, that leading up to the Festival you want these horses coming through these trials well and I'm simply happy he's got a clear round.
"We hacked round and ran and he's not short of an equipment and it just put a couple of good manners on him a bit today. He's only young, doesn't have much experience and did what I desired him to do and it will do his self-confidence good. Hopefully he will come back now in March.
"I have actually ridden in a Champ Hurdle and haven't won one, but I would like to."