Cromwell banking on Festival renaissance for Inothewayurthinkin
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Thu 12 Mar 2026
Gavin Cromwell is more hopeful than confident about the chances of Inothewayurthinkin successfully defending his crown in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
The JP McManus-owned eight-year-old looked like the new star of the staying division after powering clear of dual Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs 12 months ago, but he has appeared a shadow of that horse in three subsequent appearances.
Tailed off in the John Durkan and the Savills Chase before the turn of the year, Inothewayurthinkin then suffered a heavy fall at the final fence in last month’s Irish Gold Cup and his trainer admits he has a huge task on his hands.
“All the horses have run well so far (this week). On Tuesday we had a second and a fourth and I was going into the first (day) not really fancying our chances of having a winner, so I was happy with that,” said Cromwell.
“I thought the Brown Advisory was a very good race on Wednesday and our horse (Now Is The Hour) ran a super race to finish fifth, then obviously we had a good result in the cross-country with three of the first four.
“We think he (Inothewayurthinkin) has turned a corner, but it’s such a gap to bridge from a month ago when he was lying at the back of the last after a tired fall.
“To go from that to winning a Gold Cup is a huge step to take, but we are happy with him and hopefully the cheekpieces will sharpen his jumping.”
The McManus silks are also carried by Spillane’s Tower, who provided his trainer Jimmy Mangan with a first Cheltenham success when landing January’s Cotswold Chase.
Mangan said: “He had a good sailing and arrived on Thursday morning in good shape.
“He was obviously good here a few weeks ago and he will improve for that I’m sure.
“We would like to see some of the forecast rain arrive for sure. If it was today (Thursday) I don’t think he’d be running, but there is rain on the way hopefully.”
With Galopin Des Champs ruled out, Willie Mullins is this year pinning his Gold Cup hopes on Gaelic Warrior, who became a five-time Grade One winner when landing the John Durkan in the autumn.
He subsequently finished a close-up third in a thrilling King George before finding only his stablemate Fact To File too strong in the Irish Gold Cup.
Joe Chambers, racing manager to owners Rich and Susannah Ricci, said: “I think Paul (Townend) will have learned from the King George and then again from Leopardstown.
“I think it’s a belter of a Gold Cup. We’re pretty certain we stay and stay well and I think we need to make better use of that than we have historically.
“I also think we’re the most battle-hardened of those towards the top of the market and I think the fact we’ve been active and had more racing will stand to us in the last two and a half furlongs.”
Envoi Allen is something of a Festival legend, with seven previous appearances at the showpiece meeting yielding three victories and he finally gets his shot at Gold Cup glory on what will be his swansong.
“I think he has a chance, I really do,” said the 12-year-old’s trainer Henry de Bromhead.
“It’s sort of like Bob Olinger (Stayers’ Hurdle winner) last year – you look at all the horses he has beaten and they are single figures and then you look at him and he’s some crazy price!
“I thought he was better than ever when he won on his comeback.”
The Irish contingent is completed by Gordon Elliott’s outsider Firefox.
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