Gavin Cromwell can top off a memorable season with Grand National glory The decision by connections of Inothewayurthinkin to bypass the Aintree Grand National takes some of the lustre off next month’s big race, but is undoubtedly the right move for the horse at this stage of his career. It would have been fun as a racing fan to see the reigning Gold Cup winner line up in the Grand National and attempt to become just the second horse after the great Golden Miller in 1934 to win both races in the same season. But owner JP McManus will have painful memories of his previous attempt in 2012 with the ill-fated Synchronised. What is remarkable though is that, despite Gavin Cromwell’s ante-post favourite having been taken out of the race, the trainer still has three very strong contenders among the remaining entries - Paddy Power Chase winner Perceval Legallois and Cheltenham Cross Country race winner and third, Stumptown and Vanillier. It is quite astounding how Cromwell has managed to build up such a strong team of horses in such a relatively short period of time and he has done so competing against the strongest possible opposition in both Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott. Not only is Cromwell competing against the two most dominant trainers in the history of the sport on a daily basis, in races up and down the country, but he is also in direct competition with them when it comes to attracting owners and sourcing new stock. As recently as the 2017/18 season Gavin Cromwell had 47 horses in his care and they won 8 races between them in Ireland, amassing a total of €200,000 in prize money. Fast-forward to the current 2024/25 jumps season and the 151 horses he has raced thus far have won 78 races and collected €1,823,000 in prize money. Add to that his 5 winners in the UK this season, which includes the Gold Cup, and a further £745,000 in winnings and you see a trainer that has made giant strides in a short time. While most other small stables have been struggling to survive, Cromwell has managed to thrive. So how has he achieved this success? He certainly wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, which many would consider a prerequisite to success in this profession. Gavin Cromwell first worked as a stable lad in three different countries before changing tack to become a Farrier and continued to shoe horses for a number of years after taking out his trainer’s licence in 2005 in order to make ends meet. He obviously has a talent for training racehorses, but it could be argued that there are dozens of others among the current training ranks with very similar knowledge and skills. There must be something else that is separating him from the pack. He is certainly driven, which has undoubtedly been a key element to his success. Cromwell has never rested on his laurels and is continually investing and growing his facilities at Danestown in Co. Meath. But realistically anyone having his level of success would also expand. He continues to have a strong presence on the Flat - 26 winners last season - which is a calculated strategy to help retain staff as they can work throughout the full year. And ultimately good staff are a key component to the success of any operation. In Keith Donoghue, Cromwell has a formidable asset. Donoghue was a major part of Gordon Elliott’s set up for 14 years and brings a wealth of experience in all aspects of the game. Not only is he a very talented horseman, but also an astute race planner, a skill that is vitally important in the competitive environment of Irish National Hunt racing. What is most remarkable about Gavin Cromwell’s success is that it has been achieved without the patronage of most of the wealthiest owners in the sport. Aside from JP McManus (who has horses in all the top yards), the majority of horses Cromwell trains are for syndicates or owners with just one or two horses. No Gigginstown House Stud, Rich Ricci, Robcour, Sullivan Bloodstock, Bective Stud, Kenny Alexander, Donnellys, Mulryans or Munir and Souede horses. At least not yet. It certainly shows what can be achieved against all the odds and with his current upward trajectory the sky’s the limit. Gavin Cromwell is 49. When Willie Mullins was the same age he was training a similar number of winners, but was yet to win either the Champion Hurdle or Gold Cup. Gavin has already won both those iconic races and I wouldn’t bet against him adding the Grand National to his list of achievements in two week’s time.
