RISING nine, talented hurdler The New One might well have started a belated chasing career at Exeter last month. However, frost intervened, the meeting was called off and he won a third Grade 2 stanjames.com International Hurdle at Cheltenham instead. Nigel Twiston-Davies says he will stay over hurdles now, with another tilt at the Champion in March on the agenda.

Winning connections were understandably delighted but celebrations were tinged with anxiety, intended jockey Ryan Hatch having been taken to hospital in Bristol after a very nasty fall the previous day which left him with his sternum broken on both sides and a fracture to his back.

Richard Johnson was summoned for a rare ride for the stable and must have been as impressed as everyone else as The New One made all the running and did not succumb to his usual habit of jumping right.

He passed the post three and a half lengths ahead of My Tent Or Yours with last year’s winner Old Guard well held in third. With the rain not helping the runner-up, The New One started at 13/8 favourite and his backers never had a moment’s worry.

“The way we rode him today, out in front, is what he wants,” declared Twiston-Davies. “Exeter was definitely the best abandonment that ever happened and chasing is well out of my mind until next year; we’ll just bash on to another Champion Hurdle. He probably isn’t quite good enough now but he was three years ago, when he was unlucky not to win.”

Twiston-Davies’ assessment is fair enough but it highlights the very faint chance British horses have of winning the Champion these days. There were only three home defenders last year, two of them big outsiders and only The New One thought to have a realistic chance. Well though he performed last week, he is still available at 25/1 with some firms and Yanworth is the only other home-based runner quoted at shorter than those odds by most firms.

The New One ran with a new type of bit recommended by New Zealand eventer Andrew Nicholson and the trainer was very grateful to him.

“His input has made a huge difference,” the trainer went on. “We’ll look at the Christmas Hurdle but there’s also the race at Haydock in the middle of January which could be the one. He’s been nudging superstar status without ever quite making it.”

Be that as it may, not many horses win three International Hurdles. Indeed, only Bird’s Nest and Relkeel have managed it, so he is in illustrious company.

STILL ON THE UP

The Twiston-Davies stable enjoyed a highly satisfactory afternoon because Wholestone, who also started at 13/8 favourite, kept on in determined fashion to land the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Novices; Hurdle by a length from the persistent Desbois.

The runner-up made nearly all the running and proved difficult to pass but Daryl Jacob drove Wholestone ahead as they neared the line. The three-mile trip undoubtedly helped and he will no doubt be back for the same sponsor’s event in March, with 12/1 the going rate.

“He’s a very similar type to Blaklion, who won this race a couple of years ago,” Twiston-Davies said. He’s a grinder who’s improving with experience. I imagine we’ll look for another race for him before the festival.”