Inothewayurthinkin could not get near the star steeplechaser Galopin Des Champs in two Grade 1 races at Leopardstown Racecourse in Ireland earlier this winter, finishing fifth and fourth by a combined 22 3/4 lengths. Friday’s Grade 1 Cheltenham Gold Cup in western England was another matter. Inothewayurthinkin, ridden by Mark Walsh, closed from off the pace to challenge 2-5 Galopin Des Champs with two fences remaining before pulling clear after the last fence to win by six lengths. The Gold Cup is jump racing’s leading weight-for-age race, comparable to the Breeders’ Cup Classic in American flat racing. The Gold Cup was the feature race on the fourth and final day of the Cheltenham festival for hurdlers and chasers. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Inothewayurthinkin paid $16.20 as the third choice in American pools. He was supplemented to the $836,200 Gold Cup for $32,200 last weekend. Galopin Des Champs had won the Gold Cup in 2023 and 2024 and was denied a chance on Friday to become the fifth horse to win the race at least three times. The Gold Cup has been run under current conditions since 1924. For much of Friday’s Gold Cup, run at 3 5/16 miles over 22 fences, Galopin Des Champs was fifth or sixth, chasing 31-1 pacesetter Ahoy Senor. At the 15th fence, Ahoy Senor fell, forcing Galopin Des Champ to swerve to the outside. The Real Whacker (25-1) inherited the lead after Ahoy Senor’s fall. Galopin Des Champs, ridden by Paul Townend, moved into third with four fences remaining and seemed poised to record a famous win before Inothewayurthinkin gradually closed ground. Gentlemansgame (37-1) finished third in the field of nine, the smallest field since nine started in 2016. Inothewayurthinkin, a 7-year-old Irish-bred gelding by the Montjeu stallion Walk in the Park, is trained by Gavin Cromwell of Ireland. Last fall, the Cromwell-trained Fiery Lucy finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar. “I never thought I would have a horse good enough to run in a Gold Cup, let alone win,” Cromwell said. “ “It is unbelievable and it will probably take a while to sink in. “I knew they went good and hard and that was going to play to our strengths as he stays really well. What can I say? He turned [into the stretch] and jumped the last and galloped out to the line. It was fantastic. He is just an improving horse.” Owned by J.P. McManus, the all-time leading owner at the Cheltenham festival with 84 wins, including six this week, Inothewayurthinkin has won 5 of 15 starts. The gelding was bred by Noreen McManus, J.P.’s wife. Last March, Inothewayurthinkin won a handicap chase for amateur riders at 3 1/4 miles, his only previous start at Cheltenham prior to Friday. Inothewayurthinkin finished fifth of nine by 15 1/2 lengths behind Galopin Des Champs in the Grade 1 Savills Chase at Leopardstown on Dec. 28, and fourth of 10 beaten 7 1/4 lengths behind that rival in the Grade 1 Irish Gold Cup at the same venue on Feb. 1. The Gold Cup was the fifth of seven races at Cheltenham on Friday, and the first not won by Willie Mullins, who trains Galopin Des Champs. The Mullins-trained Ponirus won his debut over hurdles in the Grade 1 Triumph Hurdle for 4-year-olds, returning a remarkable $324.40 to win in American pools. Ponirus paid 100-1 with British bookmakers, however. Ponirus’s only other win is a maiden race for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles at Nottingham Racecourse in October 2023 when trained by Ralph Beckett. Mullins later won the County Handicap Hurdle at 2 1/8 miles with favored Kargese ($7.20), the Grade 2 Mares’ Chase at 2 9/16 miles with favored Dinoblue ($4), and the Grade 1 Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle at three miles with Jasmin De Vaux ($13). Galopin Des Champs was expected to extend the winning streak until Inothewayurthinkin rallied late for an upset. Mullins won 10 of the 28 races at Cheltenham over the four days. He had two wins on Tuesday, three on Wednesday and one on Thursday. With Friday’s four-win day, Mullins equaled his own record of 10 wins for a four-day festival set in 2022. Mullins has been leading trainer at the four-day Cheltenham festival for the last seven years, and 12 times since 2011. The Gold Cup win has made Inothewayurthinkin a heavy favorite, at prices ranging from 5-2 to 3-1, for the famous Grand National at Aintree Racecourse on April 5. Inothewayurthinkin was 7-1 before the Gold Cup win. Cromwell said after the Gold Cup that Inothewayurthinkin’s condition will be assessed before a potential start in the Grand National. Mullins and McManus combined to win the 2024 Grand National with I Am Maximus, who was rated as a 12-1 chance as of Friday. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.