Racing

Trainer Gavin Cromwell admits plans for Inothewayurthinkin are still open

JP McManus-owned seven-year-old may not go in Aintree Grand National despite being made joint-favourite

Mark Walsh riding Inothewayurthinkin clear the last to win the Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree last April. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Mark Walsh riding Inothewayurthinkin clear the last to win the Mildmay Novices' Chase at Aintree last April. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images
Tue Feb 04 2025 - 16:31

Gavin Cromwell has warned Inothewayurthinkin is not a guaranteed starter in Aintree Grand National. The JP McManus-owned seven-year-old was the subject of strong support for April’s race on Tuesday, with William Hill making him the 10-1 joint-favourite from 25-1 alongside last year’s winner I Am Maximus (Willie Mullins), who also carries the green and gold of McManus. Another McManus runner, Iroko (Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero), is a 14-1 chance.

A winner at Cheltenham last year and also in Grade One novice company at Aintree, Inothewayurthinkin showed his wellbeing with a fine fourth to Galopin Des Champs in the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown, but his trainer said: “He’s in the Grand National, it wasn’t originally the plan and it’s far from definite that he’ll go there. He’ll probably have an entry in the Irish National and he’ll probably have an entry in the Aintree Bowl, so I’m not sure where he’s going to go.

“I was delighted with his run the other day. He was a little bit novicey and a mistake at the fourth-last knocked him back a bit, but he was good at the line.

“Despite the fact he won a Kim Muir and a Grade One in Aintree last season, his jumping has been a lot better this year. He was slow to jump both of those days and still won and this year his jumping has improved a lot – he’s much slicker.”

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Regardless of whether Inothewayurthinkin lines up, Cromwell is still likely to have a strong hand in the world’s most famous steeplechase on April 5th, with 2023 runner-up Vanillier showing he is no back number when winning at Punchestown on Monday.

He said: “Vanillier has a National entry and he could go straight to the National, he could go to the cross-country [at Cheltenham] and then the National or he could possibly go to the Bobbyjo and then the National.

“The blinkers certainly revved him up yesterday, but saying that I’ve noticed in the last two to three weeks that he’s started to come alive a bit, so it would be a little bit of a combination.

“You’d love to have another crack at the National, but it’s a massive ask. When you’re second in the National you always feel like that was your chance and he’s not getting any younger, but at the same time it’s great to see him in good form.”

The McManus-owned Limerick Lace was sent off joint-favourite with I Am Maximus in last year’s National, eventually coming home in 10th place.

Cromwell said: “She has been very disappointing to be honest because I thought she was going there in great form and her work was very good, but she never really went at all. She travelled with her head in the air and didn’t really want to know about it.

“She’ll certainly have an entry for the Mares’ Chase [at Cheltenham] again and she has an entry in the Grand National as well. Whether she goes to Cheltenham or straight to Aintree, I’m not sure.”

Another for the Cromwell squad is the McManus-owned Perceval Legallois, a winner over hurdles at the Dublin Racing Festival having landed the valuable Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting.

“I’m not sure about him, he’s in the National and I’d say there’s a good chance he could just go straight there,” Cromwell said.

“We’ve had a fantastic year with him, winning the Paddy Power and a €100,000 handicap at the weekend. He was obviously so well-in off his hurdle mark, I thought in my own mind he’s not as good a hurdler as a chaser, but he jumped fantastic for a horse that hadn’t run over hurdles in so long and was a good winner.

“He is off a career-high mark now and that doesn’t make life any easier, but he’s still a nice runner to have in the National.”