The New One and Sam Twiston Davis© Photo Healy Racing
The New One saw off the game challenge of Rayvin Black to win the StanJames.com Champion Hurdle Trial at Haydock.
What had been set to be a clash with fellow British two-mile hopeful Peace And Co was dashed when connections of the latter opted to skip the Grade Two event.
But The New One was still made to work as Oliver Sherwood's outsider ran an extraordinary race, digging his heels in at the start before bowling along in front and then almost running out on the stable bend.
The New One and Sam Twiston-Davies loomed easily to his shoulder three out and after they jumped the second-last together it looked like 'job done' at the final hurdle, only for Rayvin Black to refuse to fold.
With Twiston-Davies getting sufficiently vigorous on the run to the line, the 8-13 favourite was always doing enough for a two-and-a-quarter-length call, repeating last year's success, giving 6lb to the runner-up.
The winning rider said: "Ground-wise today, it is a different kind of testing, it is so lifeless and it just kills all his good attributes.
"The fact he has plenty of speed and can jump well off good ground, it's just something today that hasn't suited him. But even so he has carried top weight, so it was a solid run.
"Happy, but as always with this race we're not coming out fully delighted, but there's a bit to work on yet."
On the Champion Hurdle, in which The New One was fifth 12 months ago and third in 2014, he added: "Obviously Faugheen is very, very good but second, third, fourth - the crumbs are very tasty ones.
"We know what it's like, if something goes wrong for the favourite he could maybe pick up the rest, we'll see what happens."
Trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies said: "He was much better this year, I thought. He jumped straight, in fact that was probably as well as he's ever jumped.
"He'll be going to Cheltenham in better form this year than last year, from this point on. It was a struggle with his feet (last year), he did all his prep in the swimming pool. We were still only beaten by eight lengths and I'm hoping with a straight run at it we can be more competitive.
"It's hard for any horse to be impressive in that ground, it blunts acceleration, which is his strong suit.
"He's given 8lb to a horse rated 146, I don't think that's bad form on ground he hates.
"He'll be better in March."
