Inothewayurthinkin claims Gold Cup to deny Galopin Des Champs treble

Hot favourite suffers shock defeat to late entryWinner could be put forward for Grand National

As one tilt at racing immortality came up short here on Friday, another, even more elusive achievement suddenly came into sharp focus as Inothewayurthinkin, in the famous green and gold colours of JP McManus, powered away from Galopin Des Champs, the defending two-times champion, to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup by six lengths.

There are still just four horses with three Gold Cup victories to their name, and there is still just one – Golden Miller, who features on both lists – who has won both the Gold Cup and Grand National in the same season, 91 years ago in 1934. Within a month, though, there could be two if McManus and Gavin Cromwell, Inothewayurthinkin’s trainer, decide that the seven-year-old has come out of Friday’s race well enough to take his place in the 34-strong field at Aintree on 5 April.

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