The New One facing retirement if he fails to show spark in International Hurdle

Popular veteran The New One could join old adversary My Tent Or Yours in being retired if he fails to fire in his bid to land a fourth Unibet International Hurdle at Cheltenham on Saturday.

The dual Grade 1 winner has tended to come up just short when pitted against the very best in the two-mile division, but that has only added to his popularity, and a combination of class, consistency and guts has garnered him a big following. It has also enabled him to rack up 20 wins and more than £1 million in prize-money during an extraordinary career.

However, the ten-year-old was pulled up on his final start last season and beat only one home on his reappearance at Ffos Las, which has prompted connections to question his future.

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: "He's in good form and we've no idea why he ran so badly in the Welsh Champion at Ffos Las – it was so unlike him to be beaten that far.

"He's in good form and will wear a visor, hopefully to sharpen him up. If he doesn't run well again it will probably be his last run."

Sam Twiston-Davies, the trainer's son, has ridden The New One on all bar five of his 39 starts and was in the saddle for last year's International, when he was denied by My Tent Or Yours in an epic tussle with subsequent Champion Hurdle runner-up Melon only third.

Speaking on At The Races, Twiston-Davies said: "We want to take him to the track and see if he's still got it – if he hasn't I imagine he'll go off on his retirement.

"He's been a wonderful horse – I love him to bits – and if he's not enjoying it we'll make sure he has a five-star home for life."

On Sunday Nicky Henderson announced that My Tent Or Yours had been retired to "join all his old friends like Binocular and the rest of the pensioners at [owner JP McManus's] Martinstown."

The New One and My Tent Or Yours frequently locked horns after first clashing in a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree in 2012, which was won by The New One.

My Tent Or Yours reversed the form in the 2013 Christmas Hurdle and even after another five years of clashes it was difficult to conclusively prove which horse was better, with both winning two Grade 1s and earning a peak Racing Post Rating of 171.

Entries for the International Hurdle will be revealed on Tuesday after the race was reopened after eight were initially put in the Grade 2.

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