'He's not happy unless he has grit between his teeth' - what has turned Gavin Cromwell from a farrier into a Gold Cup winner?

Exclusive new customer sign up offers


FREE BETS


FREE BETS
It was only 2017 when Gavin Cromwell brought his first two runners to the Cheltenham Festival. Neither finished. Prospectus was pulled up in the Fred Winter and Jer's Girl fell in the Mares' Hurdle.
Fast-forward to 2025 and the former farrier has now reached the pinnacle of the sport. At the end of a week in which he had 26 runners, ten of whom finished in the first three, he did what many deemed impossible – he tamed Galopin Des Champs with a horse who took baby steps all season in preparation for this giant leap into the history books. Make no mistake about it, this was an astonishing training performance. Inothewayurthinkin was not even entered in the race a few weeks ago; now he's won it.
So, then, how has the guy who used to put shoes on Gordon Elliott's horses become one of the best trainers in the game?
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inCheltenham Festival
Last updated
- 'I'm not new to this game, but I am new to these horses - he can just do things that others can't'
- Gold Cup attracts 'hugely encouraging' 1.8m viewers as ITV Racing hails youthful shift in Cheltenham Festival audience
- 'Willie's not slowing down, he's speeding up' - Patrick Mullins' stark warning for pretenders to his father's Cheltenham crown
- 'Anyone who knows anything about horses knows it isn't going to work' - procedures slammed after Cheltenham false starts
- ‘We’re united in our compassion towards John Hunt - his Gold Cup commentary speaks volumes of the man’
- Sky Bet betting offer: get 60-1 on Mo Salah to have a shot on target in Liverpool vs Newcastle
- EFL Cup final odds boost: get 50-1 on Mo Salah to score or assist with Paddy Power
- Arsenal vs Chelsea betting offer: get 50-1 for a goal to be scored with Betfair
- Grab £250 in Cheltenham Festival betting offers, free bets & bonuses for Today's Races
- Sky Bet Cheltenham Festival 2025 day 4 offer: bag £30 in free bets for Gold Cup Day
- 'I'm not new to this game, but I am new to these horses - he can just do things that others can't'
- Gold Cup attracts 'hugely encouraging' 1.8m viewers as ITV Racing hails youthful shift in Cheltenham Festival audience
- 'Willie's not slowing down, he's speeding up' - Patrick Mullins' stark warning for pretenders to his father's Cheltenham crown
- 'Anyone who knows anything about horses knows it isn't going to work' - procedures slammed after Cheltenham false starts
- ‘We’re united in our compassion towards John Hunt - his Gold Cup commentary speaks volumes of the man’
- Sky Bet betting offer: get 60-1 on Mo Salah to have a shot on target in Liverpool vs Newcastle
- EFL Cup final odds boost: get 50-1 on Mo Salah to score or assist with Paddy Power
- Arsenal vs Chelsea betting offer: get 50-1 for a goal to be scored with Betfair
- Grab £250 in Cheltenham Festival betting offers, free bets & bonuses for Today's Races
- Sky Bet Cheltenham Festival 2025 day 4 offer: bag £30 in free bets for Gold Cup Day