Twiston-Davies hails The New One as ‘exceptional’

Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies labelled The New One “exceptional” after the youngster laid down an early marker for next year’s Champion Hurdle with a truly stunning seasonal return at Kempton yesterday.

So impressive in the Neptune Investment Management Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March before being narrowly denied by Zarkandar at Aintree, the five-year-old was a 1-2 favourite as he came back two miles for this Listed event.

He faced a formidable opponent in Rock On Ruby, winner of the Champion Hurdle in 2012 and runner-up to Hurricane Fly in the same race last term, but made Harry Fry’s stable star look decidedly ordinary with a blistering turn of foot.