THE TIMES
15 March 2025
There can be no pity at the top. Galopin Des Champ strove mightily to become just the 5th horse to win a 3rd Gold Cup but up Cheltenham’s final hill the younger legs of Inothewayurthinkin were too much for him.
In hindsight we had invested too much in Galopin Des Champs’ brave and battling frame. He has won 14 of his 23 races and looked better than ever on his last run when winning the Irish Gold Cup for a third time. But all his best form had been on soft ground. Now there had been overnight frost and the sun was out. If we had checked we would have noticed that the first two races were run 15 and 20 second faster than last year.
But we hadn’t checked. We yearned to see history made. We gazed at Galopin Des Champs in admiration. It was the fifth year in a row in a row that he had come to Cheltenham and his only blip had been slipping up on landing when miles clear in the Turners. We are familiar with the set of his rather narrow neck and his straight honest face. When he came out on to the track we believed he would have wings on his hills.
But quite soon after the start disloyal doubts tapped at the window. We had dreamed that he and Paul Townend would attack from the start but here Galopin Des Champs was no closer than 6th just behind Rachael Blackmore as Ahoy Senor led The Real Whacker. Bambridge and the grey Gentlemansgame off on the first circuit. There was something a touch laboured in that rolling stride, something a bit ponderous in his over arched landing at the water jump out the back straight.
We comforted ourself that this was just the 9 year old’s way of galloping, that Paul Townend knew what he was doing. So we held our nerve as the field swept off on their second circuit.
Held it too when the Scottish flyer Ahoy Senor crashed out just as he had two years ago. Monty’s Pass was badly impeded and pushed Galopin Des Champs wide but by the top of the hill he was up in contention. By the time they swept down it towards the third last he had come through to threaten the leading Gentlemansgame. This had clearly been Townend’s master plan. Belief was back.
But double trouble was looming outside, Inothewurthinkin and Corbetts Cross in the yellow and gold hoops of JP McManus. Instantly and tragically it became only one as Corbett’s Cross took a fatal fall at the obstacle. But “Galopin” would need to dig deep in ground not deep enough for his digging.
Two races earlier “Galopin’s” jockey and Inothwayurthinkin’s rider Mark Walsh had come to the last together and a last desperate leap had turned Townend’s mount over just as State Man had done in the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday. But champions don’t allow caution when in extremis. “Galopin” came up in a soaring successful arc but rival was a match for him “Galopin” never quit for an instant but the dream was over. 7 year old Inothewayurthinkin ran out a 6 lengths winner and it was a respectful 12 lengths back to find Gentlemansgame in third.
JP McManus may have more than 200 horses in training and already had 82 successes at the Festival but this, his second Gold Cup was extra special because the horse was bred at his home in County Limerick. “It’s a very exciting time and I’ll treasure it,” he said in a voice hoarse with emotion. Something shared by the jockey. “I’m dancing inside,” said Mark Walsh, before paying tribute to trainer Gavin Cromwell on whose belief in Inothewayurthinkin’s improvement McManus had paid £25k late entry fee, ”this fella he’s been doing some growing up this year. Gavin Cromwell’s a genius. It’s brilliant.”
So a new champion has been crowned and an old lesson repeated. History making is hard enough on two legs, and especially at Cheltenham on four.