Inothewayurthinkin has won the Boodles Gold Cup at Cheltenham and dethroned the dual champion Galopin Des Champs.
A great week for the Cheltenham Festival’s leading all-time owner got even better as he claimed the blue riband of chasing on Friday.
Well placed throughout the race, Inothewayurthinkin is a first Gold Cup for trainer Gavin Cromwell, and is another Grade 1 this week for rider Mark Walsh.
Inothewayurthinkin is the first supplementary entry to win the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup, as he was added to the field on Saturday, 8th March at a cost of £25,000.
Bred by Noreen McManus, the winner is a second victory for the Limerick owner in the Gold Cup, and his 84th Festival winner.
Inothewayurthinkin is the 20th seven-year-old to succeed and the 31st horse trained in Ireland to win the contest.
Mark Walsh, narrowly pipped for the leading rider at this year’s Cheltenham Festival by Paul Townend, said of the victory:
“I’m dancing inside! Brilliant, I can’t believe it. They went a nice gallop. He jumped well on the whole, he just missed the ditch going down the back the last time.
“In fairness to this fella, he’s done some growing up in the last year. He won here last year, but Gavin Cromwell is a genius. The way he trained him, he had him spot on for today. Brilliant. He’s a home-bred as well, which makes it extra special. Delighted.”
A shocked Gavin Cromwell admitted:
“I don’t know what to say as it is absolutely massive. I never thought I would have a horse good enough to run in a Gold Cup, let alone win.
“It is unbelievable and it will probably take a while to sink in. I’m absolutely thrilled. I didn’t think we were travelling particularly well as just on that ground he looked to be flat out.”
The defending champion and two-time winner Galopin Des Champs (8/13 favourite) was second for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins.
The Mouse Morris-trained Gentlemansgame (40/1) was another 12 lengths away in third for Darragh O’Keffee and owners Robcour.
A sad postscript to the race was that Corbetts Cross, trained by Emmet Mullins for J.P. McManus, who fell at the last fence in the Boodles Gold Cup sadly lost his life.
