Inothewayurthinkin satisfies Cromwell with Punchestown return

Gavin Cromwell declared himself “happy enough” after his Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin finished a well-beaten fifth on his reappearance in the John Durkan Memorial Punchestown Chase.

The JP McManus-owned gelding came home seventh in the two-and-a-half-mile Grade One 12 months ago and while no match for dual Gold Cup hero Galopin Des Champs on his next two starts at Leopardstown, he reversed that form spectacularly to land the blue riband event at Prestbury Park in March.

Making his first appearance since his Cheltenham heroics, Inothewayurthinkin never threatened to land a telling blow in a race dominated by the Willie Mullins-trained pair of Gaelic Warrior and Fact To File, but Cromwell was far from despondent.

“They went very fast and he was flat out all the way, but he jumped really well and stayed galloping well to the line,” he said.

“On the whole I’d be happy enough for his first run. They went a ferocious gallop and hopefully we can build on that.”

Gaelic Warrior denied his stablemate Fact To File back-to-back John Durkan wins by a neck, with the pair pulling 29 lengths clear of the third home Fastorslow.

The latter, who won this prize in 2023 and is also a dual Punchestown Gold Cup winner, was making his first appearance since finishing fourth in last year’s John Durkan and his trainer Martin Brassil was delighted with his stable star’s comeback performance.

He said: “I’m thrilled with him. He never ran on that (soft to heavy) ground before and hadn’t the same spring over some of the fences.

“He’s a three-mile horse and they went a two-mile pace. I loved what he did from the last to the line.

“He galloped away well and he’d be better suited by nicer ground. Overall I’m very happy with him.”

Fastorslow could now head for the Savills Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas or perhaps have another crack at Gaelic Warrior in the King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day.

“We’ll see how he comes out of this and he’ll be entered at Kempton and Leopardstown,” Brassil added.

“We’ll give him an entry for the King George, so we’ll have that option anyway.”