Inothewayurthinkin wins Cheltenham Gold Cup

Inothewayurthinkin won the Cheltenham Gold Cup as favourite Galopin Des Champs was denied a historic hat-trick.

The 15-2 winner, ridden by Mark Walsh for trainer Gavin Cromwell and owner JP McManus, charged clear up the hill to beat the gallant two-time victor by six lengths, with Gentlemansgame third.

McManus’ other runner Corbetts Cross suffered a fatal injury after a late fall. Ahoy Senor also came down earlier in the race and hampered Galopin Des Champs.

Inothewayurthinkin had been added to the race as a supplementary entry six days earlier at a cost of £25,000 and it proved a shrewd investment, with nearly £280,00 going to the winning owner.

Inothewayurthinkin is now 5-2 favourite to win the Grand National on 5 April and become only the second horse after Golden Miller in 1934 to complete the double in the same season.

After 100-1 chance Poniros had won the opening Triumph Hurdle, Galopin Des Champs was bidding to give trainer Willie Mullins a remarkable fifth win on the day, but had to settle for second.

The 2023 and 2024 winner was aiming to become only the fifth horse, and the first since Best Mate 21 years earlier, to win the big race three times.

Walsh stalked the defending champion on the eventual winner and his mount produced an impressive turn of foot to power clear.

“I’m dancing inside, it’s brilliant. I can’t believe it,” he said.

“I’m absolutely speechless. He was hanging in all the time that he was flat out, he’s such a good horse.

“He has grown up in the last year. Gavin is a genius to have him spot on for today.

“He is a homebred too which makes it extra special.”

It was a second win of the week for Cromwell after Stumptown’s victory in Wednesday’s Cross Country Chase.

“I never thought I would have a horse good enough to run in the Gold Cup, let alone win,” he added.

“A huge thank you to JP and Noreen – to have horses like this is unbelievable. Thanks to them for having the confidence to supplement him.”

But the joy around Inothewayurthinkin’s success was tempered by news of Corbetts Cross.

A statement from the Jockey Club read: “In our fifth race of the day, Corbetts Cross was immediately attended to by our veterinary professionals, but sadly sustained a fatal injury. Our heartfelt condolences are with his connections.”

The eight-year-old, trained by Emmet Mullins, was the second horse to die at this year’s Festival after Springwell Bay suffered a fatal fall on Thursday.

The RSPCA said the two fatalities meant 31 horses had died at Cheltenham since 2016.

“Too many horses have lost their lives at Cheltenham,” it said, adding: “We await the British Horseracing Authority’s investigation into the circumstances.”

Frank Berry, racing manager for McManus, said: “The Gold Cup was brilliant, but it has put a dampener on the day and it’s always sad to lose any horse, never mind a nice horse who was running such a nice race.

“He was a lovely horse and Emmet and the team have done a lovely job with him.”

Poniros stunned a capacity crowd as the longest-priced winner of the Triumph Hurdle.

There were gasps as his odds were announced following a late charge under jockey Jonjo O’Neill Jr.

Mullins is the dominant trainer at Cheltenham, but his winner was running over hurdles for the first time and considered an outsider among his 11 contenders in the 18-runner opener.

Poniros, running in the blue-and-white colours of Brighton and Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom, won by a neck from Lulamba with favourite East India Dock in third.

“I know my owner probably had some pounds on it but I didn’t give him any advice. I don’t think I’ve ever given Poniros a serious gallop, it was more for a nice experience for him,” said Mullins.

“He’s done a good bit of jumping at home. We gave him a break and brought him back in for the spring. I didn’t think he’d be sharp enough for this.

“I saw the blue coming and was thinking’ is that one of mine?’ That shows where his Flat racing experience comes in for this.”

O’Neill, who was due to be riding at Doncaster instead but got a late call-up, said: “It’s crazy. It’s a funny old game. Anything of Willie’s has a chance.”

Mullins followed up with shorter-priced winners in the County Hurdle and Mares’ Chase as Paul Townend and Mark Walsh respectively steered favourites Kargese (6-4) and Dinoblue (6-4) to victory.

Townend claimed the fourth Mullins winner aboard 6-1 shot Jasmin De Vaux in the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle.

Wonderwall held off the challenge of Its On The Line to win the Hunters’ Chase for trainer Sam Curling and jockey Rob James at 28-1.

And in the final race of the meeting, Gordon Elliott finally got a winner after four second places over the four days as Wodhooh (9-2) took the Martin Pipe Hurdle for jockey Danny Gilligan.

That was a clean sweep on Friday and 20th victory of the week for Irish-trained runners – 10 of them courtesy of leading trainer Mullins, whose individual tally was two more than all of the British contingent.

Cheltenham reported a crowd of 68,026, taking the total attendance to 218,839 for the week, compared to nearly 230,000 last year.