Twiston-davies: New One my best chance
Trainer believes horse is in ‘form of his life’ Stayers’ Hurdle will be seventh run at Festival
When The New One lines up for next month’s Sun Bets Stayers’ Hurdle it will be his seventh start at the Cheltenham Festival – a remarkable training achievement in itself.
Although Cue Card, one of the few others at this year’s Festival to have won over £1million in prize money, can match that, his six starts have not been consecutive like Nigel Twiston-davies’s 10-year-old.
The New One’s only win there was in the 2013 Neptune Hurdle, but he has never finished worse than sixth, the position he filled on his debut there in the Festival Bumper a year earlier.
After four starts in the Champion Hurdle, in which he has finished an unlucky third, fifth, fourth and fifth, The New One will now attempt three miles for the first time. “I’m not confident about him staying three miles at all,” said the trainer at yesterday’s press day. “That’s why we have held off this long.”
In an attempt to help him get the trip, The New One will be ridden with more restraint than usual. “He will be ridden differently,” said Twiston-davies, who will also run Wholestone in the race. “He won’t be making all. He has won over 2½ a few times but was he staying on at the end? I don’t know.
“He’s probably in the best form he’s ever been. I think his racing has been incredible this year. His rating is as high as ever. He’s the horse of a lifetime. He’s my best chance of a winner.”
If ever it was worth a go this is the year to have a crack at the race. Among the leading fancies only Sam Spinner looks guaranteed to get the trip. Supersundae, the present favourite, showed plenty of speed to win the Irish Champion Hurdle over two miles but has yet to win over three, while Yanworth has had an in and out season over fences.