Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup

WHAT had been billed as the coronation of a modern-day equine great turned into the ultimate coming-out party for one of the most exciting trainers of his generation, as Gavin Cromwell masterfully reached the pinnacle of National Hunt racing with Inothewayurthinkin in a scintillating Cheltenham Gold Cup triumph.

Galopin Des Champs, chasing immortality in his third consecutive Gold Cup, went down on his sword with absolute honour in second, but the reigning champion had no answer to the two-years-younger legs of J.P. and Noreen McManus’ home-bred at the most crucial climb from the last to the line. The 8/13 favourite held every chance in the straight, despite not jumping with his usual laser-like, efficiency throughout, yet Mark Walsh always caught the eye on the winner. With immense composure, he shadowed Paul Townend everywhere he went into the business end of jump racing’s ultimate prize and then unfurled a punishing finishing effort on the 15/2 chance, who had been supplemented into the race for £25,000 a week earlier.

Six lengths was the winning margin. How well-handicapped was the Walk In The Park seven-year-old in last year’s Kim Muir off a mark of 145? How well-handicapped might he still be in the Randox Grand National, if given the chance to line up there, off a mark of 160 on April 5th? He is now just 3/1 for that.

That will be a conversation for another day. This was all about the signalling of a coming force in the staying chase division, a moment to treasure for the McManus family and Mark Walsh, and a statement victory for a training operation that has been making massive strides in recent seasons. This was on a different level, though. The only sad postscript to an otherwise brilliant contest was a fatal fall for Corbetts Cross at the second last.

“I don’t know what to say, as it is absolutely massive,” said Cromwell after his second winner of the week, though so many of his troops ran with immense credit.

“I never thought I would have a horse good enough to run in a Gold Cup, let alone win. A huge thank you to J.P. and Noreen – to have horses like this is unbelievable. I think it was a little bit of them waiting for me to suggest supplementing him and I was waiting for them, but neither took much convincing.

“It is unbelievable and it will probably take a while to sink in. I didn’t think we were travelling particularly well, as just on that ground, he looked to be flat out. He is just an improving horse and has improved all season this season. He started off over two and a half miles, but the further he has gone, the better he has been.”

Dream come true

Walsh, a figure who tends to let his riding do the talking, fully appreciated the significance of a first Gold Cup at the end of a Festival, where he rode four winners.

“It’s brilliant – something you dream of when you’re a kid wanting to be a jockey – so it’s a dream come true,” said Walsh.

“I had a great trip round. They went a proper good gallop; I had a lovely position. Paul Townend was on the outside on Galopin Des Champs and I noticed early on he wasn’t happy – I noticed by his body language that he wasn’t just happy with how Galopin Des Champs was jumping, so I thought that if I had a clear round, I could have a little squeak.

“I didn’t want to take him on too early, because we all know how he stays up the hill, but my lad just carried me there and winged the second-last and went by him, so I just kept kicking, because my lad stays all day as well.

“Gavin has done a savage job with him, and Keith Donoghue has done a brilliant job with him at home; he’s done all the work on him, so I’m just lucky to be able to ride him. There was no pressure on me - all the pressure was on Paul, so I just had to ride the race and, if it happened, it happened.

“Thank you to J.P. for supplementing him – if he hadn’t supplemented him, we wouldn’t have a Gold Cup winner, so thanks to him for that.”

Drying ground, officially described as good to soft, was put forward as a possible factor in Galopin Des Champs being unable to confirm his Leopardstown form with the winner. He still managed to put 12 lengths between himself and the rest of the field, with Gentlemansgame running an excellent race for Mouse Morris and Robcour in third.

“I just thought he was never happy until they got to the fourth last,” Mullins said of Galopin Des Champs.

“During the race, he was too far out of his ground and he wasn’t jumping well enough to be in the race. He was uncomfortable. Maybe drying ground might not have helped. I thought we missed all that [when Ahoy Senor fell] and I thought that might wake him up, as he was just idle.

“When he jumped off, he was only in seventh. He was jumping too big and he wasn’t jumping well enough. I was hoping something would get beside him and make him jump. To me, he wasn’t racing. I just think he used too much jumping too big, but a good horse won it.”

On whether a crack at the Grand National could be on the cards for Inothewayurthinkin, Cromwell added: “I don’t know. We will get him home from this and I will have a chat with Frank [Berry, racing manager] and J.P. and we will see. Potentially, it wouldn’t be out of the question.”

There was only one answer to the question of a richly anticipated 2025 Gold Cup. It was an emphatic one. Inothewayurthinkin now wears the crown.

Paul Townend, rider of Galopin Des Champs (second)

“I was never really confident on him. Maybe the ground was a bit quicker than it has been over the years. I’m not making excuses - we were beaten on the day by a better, younger one. Everything was a bit laboured on him, but he’s tried his heart out. He doesn’t owe us anything and he’s in one piece. He just wasn’t happy, I think; everything was a bit of an effort.

“He still gave it a crack, didn’t he? We’re second in the Gold Cup, anyway. I was happiest the couple of jumps back up the hill the last time round, but I was hoping rather than being confident that he was going to come alive for me there, to be honest. He’s run a blinder.”

Mouse Morris, trainer of Gentlemansgame (third)

“I’m very happy. He ran his heart out and jumped super. He just lacks a gear, but he will stay all day. He is as honest as the day is long. He is not the easiest horse to train and keep sound, but this year, thanks to all the vets and everybody we were able to get him here with a clear run.”

Henry de Bromhead, trainer of Monty’s Star (fourth)

“A mistake and having to avoid a faller may have cost him a place, but that is it. He ran a blinder.”

J.J. Slevin, rider of Banbridge (seventh)

“He didn’t jump well enough.”