Gavin Cromwell’s William Hill blog: Gold Cup the dream with Inothewayurthinkin

Aintree reflections

We sent a small but select team to Aintree for the Grand National meeting and we were delighted to return with a Grade 1 winner.

It didn’t look like it was going to happen for a long way with Inothewayurthinkin in the Mildmay, but ultimately he was a good winner. He made a couple of mistakes on the way around, but you’d have to take the positives from the run, and I think his jumping will get a bit slicker with racing too. Regarding future targets, he is entered in the three-mile Grade 1 novice chase at Punchestown, but he’s very unlikely to run and I’d say he’s more than likely finished for the season. You’d dream that next season he could grow into a Cheltenham Gold Cup type horse, but he still has a long way to go yet to get to that level.

Flooring Porter was obviously a disappointing fifth in the Liverpool Hurdle. Nothing has come to light yet on why he ran the way he did, but he’s come home safe and sound which is the most important thing.

We ran two in the Grand National and unfortunately neither was able to trouble the winner I Am Maximus. Limerick Lace took a bit of time to warm to the fences, but you couldn’t say she didn’t take to the task. She got hampered at a couple of crucial stages and probably ran well considering. That’s her finished for the season. We’ll look to bring her back to defend her crown in the Mares’ Chase at Cheltenham next year.

Vanillier probably got bogged down in some of the softer patches of ground and he found it hard work. He won’t run again this season either. We’ll look to bring him back to the National again next year for a third attempt, but I suppose last year was probably his year. It looked a really good National and I was delighted for J P and his team. He puts so much into the game, and it was brilliant to see him win the big one.

Cheltenham, Wednesday

Encanto Bruno has been working well and I’d say he’s in good nick for the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ hurdle (1.30pm). He’s had to wait for some better ground after we decided not to run him in the County or at Aintree last week on soft going. We haven’t run him in a while, but it looks like he’s going to get his ground on Wednesday. Nicky Henderson’s Peaky Boy looks very promising, and we don’t know how good he is, but hopefully we’ll have the experience to be involved.

It’s a similar story with Final Orders who’s been waiting for better ground and goes in the Grade 2 Silver Trophy (2.40pm). He was declared at the Dublin Racing Festival and didn’t run because of the going, but he looks like he’s going to get his ground. He’s probably not the best-handicapped in the race but he jumps well and hopefully he’s got a good each-way chance.

Things didn’t go to plan with Stumptown at the Cheltenham Festival but he’s back to the track for the three-and-a-quarter mile handicap chase (4.25pm). Nothing came to light from that run, and I’d say he’s got a bit of a mind of his own. He seemed to lose interest passing the stands for the first time in the Ultima and he didn’t really run his race. We’re just hoping that things might happen a bit easier for him in this drop in class, but we’re hopeful rather than confident.

Cheltenham, Thursday

We send only one runner to Cheltenham on Thursday in the shape of Je T’ai Porte for the mares’ handicap chase (4.25pm). Her form on the track is very in-and-out, but she seems in good form at the moment. The trip and the ground should be fine for her, but she may not be very well-handicapped. I’m not sure what to expect with her to be honest!