Inothewayurthinkin cut for Grand National after Gold Cup triumph

2PG4A7G Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire , UK.

The 2025 Cheltenham Festival delivered its trademark mix of excitement, tight finishes, and memorable moments, but it was a week where bookmakers largely had the upper hand, as a string of fancied runners failed to justify their odds.

Cheltenham Day 1 – Constitution comes a cropper

Heading into the first day, expectations were high with a number of well-backed favourites set to compete. The opening Supreme Novices’ Hurdle saw Kopek Des Bordes deliver the expected result for punters, but that was as good as it got for those banking on the market leaders.

The first big shock came in race two when Majborough’s costly late mistake handed victory to Jango Baie. Lossiemouth briefly restored order for favourite backers, but the drama in the Champion Hurdle overshadowed everything. Nicky Henderson’s star, Constitution Hill, fell four out, leaving second favourite Brighterdaysahead unable to capitalise. Just as State Man seemed poised to take control, he also came down at the final flight, opening the door for 25/1 shot Golden Ace to spring a major surprise.

Cheltenham Day 2 – Bookmakers left laughing again

Those hoping for more predictable results on day two were left disappointed. Only one favourite – Stumptown in the Cross Country Chase – justified their odds, as the upsets continued.

Ballyburn, widely fancied to win, never recovered from an early blunder at the seventh and was ultimately beaten, with 20/1 outsider Lecky Watson emerging as the unexpected winner. In the Queen Mother Champion Chase, Jonbon carried the hopes of many but faded badly after a significant jumping error, finishing a distant second to Marine Nationale, who romped home by 18 lengths.

Cheltenham Day 3 – Blackmore takes centre stage

Day three was all about Rachael Blackmore. The Gold Cup and Grand National-winning jockey set the tone by causing another upset in the opener aboard Air of Entitlement. Fact To File delivered in the Ryanair Chase, offering some relief to favourite backers, but Blackmore stole the show with a remarkable last-to-first ride on Bob Olinger in the Stayers’ Hurdle, denying Teahupoo in dramatic fashion.

Cheltenham Day 4 – Dreams dashed for Galopin Des Champs

The final day kicked off with the biggest shock of the festival when Jonjo O’Neill steered 100/1 outsider Poniros to victory in the opening race. Although Kargese and Dinoblue offered brief respite for punters, the Gold Cup once again swung in the bookmakers’ favour as Galopin Des Champs fell short in his bid for a third successive triumph.

Despite being the race favourite, Galopin Des Champs never fully imposed himself and was ultimately outgunned by Inothewayurthinkin, who produced a powerful late charge over the final two fences to claim victory.

Remarkably, Inothewayurthinkin was a late addition to the Gold Cup field. For months, the race had been billed as a showdown between Galopin Des Champs and Fact To File. However, Fact To File’s underwhelming performances in his prep races saw him rerouted to the Ryanair, leaving Galopin Des Champs seemingly unchallenged. Trainer Gavin Cromwell saw an opportunity and made the bold decision to pay the £25,000 supplement fee to enter Inothewayurthinkin, and it proved to be a masterstroke.

The move secured a payday exceeding £360,000, and speculation quickly turned to whether the horse would attempt to complete the rare double of Gold Cup and Grand National victories in the same year.

McManus and Cromwell undecided over Aintree

Having already overtaken I Am Maximus as the Grand National favourite in recent weeks, Inothewayurthinkin’s odds for Aintree were slashed from 8/1 to just 3/1 in the aftermath of his Cheltenham success.

Despite his prominent position in the market, both Cromwell and owner JP McManus remained cautious about committing to Aintree immediately.

“Let’s enjoy this moment,” McManus commented. “We’ll take our time and make the best decision for the horse. The Gold Cup is a tough race, and we need to assess what’s in his best interests. Gavin (Cromwell) and I will discuss it, but don’t expect an answer this week.”

Until a final decision is made, speculation will continue to build. Only one horse, Golden Miller, has achieved the Gold Cup-Grand National double in the same year, and that was back in 1934. Many racing fans will be eager to see Inothewayurthinkin given the chance to write his name into the history books, though the short three-week turnaround between Cheltenham and Aintree could prove a decisive factor in the final call.