started 4/5 favourite ahead of Coneygree, a gelding who had won both the Hyde Novices' Hurdle and the Bristol Novices' Hurdle. The New One overtook Coneygree approaching the final hurdle but was overtaken on the run-in and was beaten a neck by the A. P. McCoy ridden six-year-old At Fisher's Cross. At the 2013 Cheltenham Festival, The New One contested the Grade I Baring Bingham Novices' Hurdle over two miles, five furlongs and started 7/2 second favourite behind the unbeaten Irish-trained five-year-old Pont Alexandre. Sam Twiston-Davies settled the horse just behind the leaders and took the lead from Pont Alexandre approaching the final hurdle. The New One stayed on strongly on the run-in to win by four lengths from Rule The World with Pont Alexandre four and a half lengths further back in third. Nigel Twiston-Davies admitted to being so nervous that he spent most of the race in the toilet, only emerging for the closing stages. He went on to say that while the horse could compete in steeplechases in the following season it was also possible that The New One would be dropped back in distance to contest the 2014 Champion Hurdle. On his final appearance of the season The New One was matched against more experienced hurdlers in the Aintree Hurdle on 4 April and was made favourite ahead of Grandouet, Oscar Whisky (winner of the race in 2011 and 2012), Zarkandar, Thousand Stars (Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil) and Countrywide Flame (Triumph Hurdle, Fighting Fifth Hurdle). The New One moved up to join the leaders with three hurdles left to negotiate, but has beaten half a length by Zarkandar in what the BBC described as "a thrilling finish". 2013/2014 National Hunt season On his seasonal debut in October, The New One ran in a two-mile hurdle race at Kempton Park for which his opponents included the 2012 Champion Hurdle winner Rock On Ruby. Starting the 1/2 favourite, The New One overtook Rock On Ruby two hurdles from the finish and went clear to win impressively by ten lengths despite being eased down by Twiston-Davies in the closing stages. On 14 December, the gelding faced Zarkandar, the horse which had beaten him at Aintree, in the Grade II International Hurdle at Cheltenham. The New One reversed the form from April, taking the lead approaching the final hurdle, and beating Zarkandar by six lengths. Nigel Twiston-Davies expressed his