PartialLogo
Cheltenham Festival
premium

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

CHELTENHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 14: Winning jockey Mark Walsh (r) poses in the winners enclosure alongside owner JP McManus (c) and trainer Gavin Cromwell (l) following the Gold Cup victory with Inothewayurthinkin in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Chase during day four of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 14, 2025 in Cheltenham, England.  (Photo by Michael Steele (Getty Images)
Winning Gold Cup connections Gavin Cromwell, JP McManus and Mark WalshCredit: Michael Steele (Getty Images)

Today's Offers

11

Exclusive new customer sign up offers

Skybet logoTote logoLadbrokes logoBet365 logoCoral logoWilliamhill logoBetfair logoPaddypower logoMatchbook logoBetfred logoBoylesports logo

FREE BETS

Skybet logoTote logoLadbrokes logoBet365 logoCoral logoWilliamhill logoBetfair logoPaddypower logoMatchbook logoBetfred logoBoylesports logo

FREE BETS

Chevron down

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
Subscribe

Already a subscriber?Log in

author image
Deputy Ireland editor

Published on inCheltenham Festival

Last updated

iconCopy