The New One has sadly just got old

ON A bitter, rain-lashed afternoon at Cheltenham, The New One received a warm ovation and final lap of honour around the famous paddock as he headed into retirement after being pulled up in the International Hurdle.

The Nigel Twistion-Daviestrained 10-year-old, winner three times of the race, faded before being pulled up before the last hurdle in a race won decisively by 7-1 shot Brain Power.

It was The New One’s fourth successive below-par run.

A horse who had been around long enough to become part of furniture, The New One won 20 of 40 races.

Amid emotional scenes including a kiss from the trainer’s jockey son Sam, Twiston-Davies said: ‘Sam said when push came to shove he doesn’t have it anymore.

‘I’m gutted. Where do I find another like him? It’s a very sad day. I really thought he would come back today but I have no excuses.’

Winner Brain Power is the only horse which can live with brilliant stablemate Altior on the gallops, according to trainer Nicky Henderson, but he hadn’t run over hurdles since April 2017 and spent last season failing to fulfil his talent novice chasing.

Meanwhile, Bryony Frost won her biggest race since losing her conditional jockey claim when extracting some outrageous jumps out of Paul Nicholls-trained Frodon to win the Caspian Caviar Gold Cup under top weight of 11st 12lb.

In the week when the BHA published a review aimed at improving safety at the Cheltenham Festival, it will be a relief that there were no casualties at the track’s two-day December meeting.

The BHA have signalled that their next welfare priority is the divisive subject of whether bans for misuse of the whip should be stiffened.