Gold Cup Glory for Cromwell and Inothewayyourthinkin
Gavin Cromwell is a Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer after Inothewayyourthinkin defeated the two-time champion and 1/2 shot Galopin Des Champs.
Tom Gannon
Inothewayourthinkin gave Meath trainer Gavin Cromwell his first-ever Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in what felt like a crowning moment in the incredible training career of the former farrier.
The Mark Walsh-ridden Inothewayurthinkin travelled strongly up the Cheltenham Hill to deny Galopin Des Champs a Gold Cup hat-trick. The seven-year-old was supplemented for the race at a cost of £25,000 and that proved to be a wise investment by owner JP McManus as he stormed home to score by six lengths at odds of 15/2.
Gavin Cromwell's son Jake was on hand to lead the now Cheltenham Gold Cup Champion into the winner's enclosure, where they were met with a fantastic reception. The Cheltenham Gold Cup dates back to 1924 and is known as the most prestigious contest in racing.
Cromwell was already a winner this week after Stumptown won the Cross Country race on Wednesday under Keith Donoghue. The Balrath-based trainer has now won three of the four championship races at the festival having had success with Flooring Porter twice in the Stayers Hurdle and Espoir D'Allen in the Champion Hurdle. Inothewayyourthinkin's victory in the Gold Cup is without a doubt Cromwell's greatest training achievement.
An overjoyed Gavin Cromwell spoke to ITV after the race and he was hugely grateful to the owners JP McManus and to his retained jockey, Keith Donoghue for the work that he has done with Inothewayyourthinkin.
"I'm speechless. We have had great faith and I would like to give a huge thank you to JP (McManus) and Noreen for letting us supplement him. Keith Donoghue has been a huge part of this horse's progress. He did all the schooling and working on him. A great thanks has to go to him as well."
Cromwell spoke about Inowthwayyourthinkin's progress throughout the year and how he had improved since the last time he met the defending champion.
"He is a spring horse and his year has been built up slowly. He was beaten seven lengths the last day by Galopin Des Champs and he hit the line really well after making a mistake three or four out. We felt he had improved plenty since then and thankfully we got to supplement him.
When asked about the likelihood of Inothwayyourthinkin lining up at Aintree for a crack at the Grand National, Cromwell didn't give too much away.
"I don't know is the answer to that. We will get him home and have a chat with Frank and JP. It's potentially not out of the question."
Gordon Elliott had a tough time at this year's Cheltenham Festival and had to wait for the very last race to get a winner. Wodhooh was a four-and-a-quarter-length winner of the concluding Martin Pipe Hurdle. The five-year-old saw off the challenge of Elliott's former assistant trainer, Olly Murphy's Act Of Authority.
An emotional Elliott spoke to Racing TV after Wodhooh's victory.
"She is owned by a lot of good friends and there is going to be a lot of celebrations in the ring here. We have had a really tough week. To finish the week off like this and win the Martin Pipe is brilliant, he is my hero. I'd like to thank all my staff and all my owners after a tough week but I certainly won't lie down."