Twiston-Davies: The New One is probably in the best form he has ever been

Nigel Twiston-Davies described The New One as the horse of a lifetime and believes the ten-year-old is in his best form ever as he winds him up for a remarkable seventh appearance at the Cheltenham Festival.

The apple of the Grand National-and Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer's eye, The New One is set to try three miles for the first time in the Sun Bets Stayers' Hurdle with connections appearing to have given up hope of his winning a Champion Hurdle, the race he has run in at the last four festivals.

Twiston-Davies still harbours regret over the first of those when the son of King's Theatre, who runs in the colours of the Such family and Gino Paletta, was badly hampered by the fall of the ill-fated Our Conor in 2014.

Prior to that, he had finished sixth in the Champion Bumper and won the Neptune, while he has recorded finishing positions of fifth, fourth and fifth in the last three Champion Hurdles.

The New One and Sam Twiston-Davies head for a fourth consecutive victory in the Haydock Champion Hurdle TrialCredit: John Grossick (racing Post.com/photos)

Twiston-Davies said: "You look at his races and he's probably in the best form he's ever been. I think his races have been incredible this year. His rating is as high as ever.

"We had to have a go at those Champion Hurdles and he's run well in all of them. It'd be great if he won because he's the horse of a lifetime and it's so sad he was knocked out of it in his first Champion Hurdle. He's been very kind to us."

The New One is generally 12-1 for the £325,000 Stayers' Hurdle, but Twiston-Davies said: "I'm not confident about him staying three miles at all.

"That's why we've held on this long. But he'll be ridden differently. He won’t be making all. He's won over two and a half miles a few times, but was he staying on at the end? I don't know.

"My son Sam, who rides him, has been keen for a long time to step him up in trip and it was an easy enough decision. [Champion Hurdle winner] Buveur D'Air beat him at Kempton and I know Kempton's not his track, but that was it, so we thought we'd have a different go."

Twiston-Davies could have as many has 20 runners at Cheltenham and, asked for his best chance of adding to his 17 festival winners, added on Thursday: "Hopefully The New One."

The trainer will also field the likeable Wholestone – a more certain stayer than his stablemate – in the Stayers' Hurdle and he is rated a 16-1 prospect.

"One's done it at the distance and done it well and the other hasn't, so it's lucky I don't have to pick," Twiston-Davies responded when quizzed who he would ride.

Wholestone runs in the two-tone green silks of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, whose retained rider Daryl Jacob could also partner the Nicky Henderson-trained L'Ami Serge.

No decision over a back-up jockey for Wholestone has been made, confirmed Twiston-Davies, who added: "He likes Cheltenham and got slightly outstayed on that heavy ground there last time, but it won't be like that at the festival and I'm sure he'll get home.

"His course form is really good; he always runs well there. In the Albert Bartlett last year he was the first of the British home."

Wholestone: 'His course form is really good; he always runs well there,' says his trainerCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Based just 12 miles from Cheltenham, Twiston-Davies relishes winners at the home of jump racing, but insists it will not make or break a campaign that has already included winning the Grade 1 Betfair Chase with Bristol De Mai.

He said: "It's a strong team, but it will be difficult to think you'll win a handicap and we haven't got any standout novices; we haven't got a The New One going into the novice hurdles like we had with him.

"We've had a heck of a season and if we didn't have another winner it'd still be a good season. We've won nearly £1.4 million and that's great, but you're judged by your Cheltenham wins. It's growing every year and the whole season is working to Cheltenham, but if I don't have a winner I'll probably be okay."

Sun Bet Stayers' Hurdle, card and betting

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