Festival Watch: Old-timers The New One and Un De Sceaux dreaming of Cheltenham again

Nigel Twiston-Davies's ten-year-old won Haydock's Champion Hurdle Trial for a record fourth time but his trainer has finally admitted the Festival's first day showpiece is not for him.

From the moment he arrived at Grange Hill Farm, Twiston-Davies thought his stable favourite was a Champion Hurdle winner.

After winning on his Festival hurdles debut in 2013, he was heavily backed to deliver on that promise one year later, only to finish a close third behind Jezki, after being badly hampered in the closing stages.

One year later he finished a distant fifth to Faugheen, while in 2016 he was soundly beaten into fourth by Annie Power.

Last year jockey Sam Twiston-Davies urged, even begged, his father to give the horse a chance in the longer Stayers' Hurdle but the trainer refused.

He thought the stars were aligned for a rare case of fourth time lucky. Faugheen and Annie Power were both absent and the previous season's stand-out novices, Altior and Yorkhill, had been sent over fences.

However, it was Nicky Henderson's Buveur D'air - brought back from a chasing campaign - who exploited the weak field, with The New One finishing a distant fifth.

But now, not even a fourth Champion Hurdle Trial win, his 20th success from 36 starts, will deflect Twiston-Davies from finally following the wise advice of his jockey son.

"He'll get an entry in the Champion Hurdle in case the wheels fall off the others, it will be straight to the Stayers' now," he said.

"He's just so tough and we absolutely love him, he's the horse of a lifetime and he's lost nothing of his enthusiasm over the years.

"He's never been that impressive in this race, in a way that's probably his best win yet. He appears to be better than ever at the age of ten, which tells you all you need to know about him."

Age has certainly toughened up The New One, who remains in double digits in the Stayers' Hurdle market, with Jedd O'Keeffe's Sam Spinner, brilliant in his most recent wins at Ascot and Haydock, still the rightful favourite.

The New One isn't the only one making waves for the old timers with Willie Mullins's Un De Sceaux claiming Ascot's Clarence House Chase for the third time.

The two-time Festival winner is favourite to defend the Ryanair Chase in March but canny Mullins is keeping options open and makes no secret he believes the Champion Chase is the one that got away, after Un De Sceaux was beaten by a resurgent Sprinter Sacre in the race two years ago.

And that means he'll certainly be monitoring the eagerly-awaited return of defending champion Altior at Newbury next month before finally committing his Festival entry.

"I'd be happy enough to go back for the Ryanair Chase after what he did last year, but let us see what happens with all the other horses first," said Mullins.

"He's an iron horse and it looks like he's racing a lot more relaxed nowadays, which means we can ride him differently."

But arguably a more impressive Festival pointer was the victory of Warren Greatrex's exciting seven-year-old La Bague Au Roi at Ascot.

Three wins this season are giving the trainer some serious Festival headaches - does he take his charge up against the powerful Apples Jade in the Mares' Hurdle or, perhaps, dream just a little bigger?

"She'll be rated in the mid 150s and that puts her right in the mix for the Stayers' Hurdle, especially with her mares' allowance," said Greatrex.

"I trained her brother and he was a proper stayer. She has showed she has got the speed for two miles but there's plenty of stamina there too. She is probably just coming into her element and seems a lot stronger now."

James Toney/Sportsbeat 2018