By James Toney at Cheltenham
You need to be bold in this game — and sometimes put your money where your mouth is too.
Galopin Des Champs' tilt at history was the talking point of a Cheltenham Festival that underlined why this place does unscripted and unpredictable drama like nowhere else. However, owner JP McManus's decision to pay £25,000 to supplement Inothewayurthinkin ultimately paid rich dividends, as he upset the odds to claim the Cheltenham Gold Cup for trainer Gavin Cromwell.
Willie Mullins enjoyed yet another Festival to remember, winning the first four races to take his tally to a record-equalling ten for the week, capturing an 11th top trainer title since 2011.
But in the showpiece of the week, where his charge was looking to join the likes of immortals Golden Miller, Cottage Rake, Arkle and Best Mate as a three-time winner, he had to settle for second best.
"I’m dancing inside — I can’t believe it," said jockey Mark Walsh.
"He jumped well on the whole. Paul [Townend] was on my outside [on Galopin Des Champs], and early on he was just missing a few fences — I didn’t think Paul was happy, and I was happy to see that. In fairness to this fella, he’s been doing some growing up this year. Gavin Cromwell’s a genius, and it’s brilliant.
"I'm living the dream right now — this is the one you dream of winning in this sport. There was never any pressure on me, but I thought we might have a shout, and we got there fairly easily in the end."
At the recent Dublin Racing Festival, Cromwell ended a four-year wait for a Grade One race in Ireland, but he brought his most powerful squad to the Festival — and was duly rewarded with two wins and eight places, finishing as Mullins' nearest challenger in the trainer standings.
There were concerns about Inothewayurthinkin’s jumping earlier this season but Keith Donoghue has worked hard to get him foot-perfect — and he was flawless and fluent when it mattered.
"I’m absolutely speechless," said Cromwell. "We’ve had a lot of faith in this horse, and a lot of credit has to go to Keith.
“He’s ridden him all the way along and done all the schooling. The pace of the race on the better ground was a worry, and he was only just hanging on in there the whole time. He’s a very good horse. I suppose going down to the second-last, I felt we still had a chance. I’m just thrilled."
There is no more successful owner at Cheltenham than McManus, whose yellow and green colours have been winning here since the early 1980s. But this was just his second win in the biggest prize of all, following Synchronised's success in 2012 — and you could see how much it meant.
"You have to enjoy these moments, as they’re so long in the making," he said. "We’ve had this animal since he was a foal. It’s a very exciting time, and I’ll treasure it. I’d like to see it again, as I don’t think I took it all in."
Valiant in defeat, Galopin Des Champs bravely chased home the new champion — but Townend admitted he never felt he was travelling in contention. It was another big favourite’s defeat in a week where the new normal here was far from normal.
"I was never really confident on him," said Townend. "Maybe the ground was a bit quicker than it’s been in previous years, but I’m not making excuses — we were beaten on the day by a better, younger one. Everything was a bit laboured, but he’s tried his heart out."
Ireland swept the board on the final day of racing, winning all seven races to claim the Prestbury Cup by a commanding 20-8 margin. Nine different trainers made the winners' enclosure too, underlining the sport’s staggering strength in depth.
Gordon Elliott, after ten places, finally got there too in the lucky last — Wodhooh winning the conditional jockeys' race he has started to make a speciality.
