Setting out as a trainer in 2005/06, County Meath-based Gavin Cromwell initially ticked along quietly – posting no more than 14 Irish winners per season between 2005/06 and 2017/18. However, the yard went through the gears in 2018/19 and hasn’t looked back.
Now boasting eight Grade 1 successes, thanks to the exploits of Jer’s Girl, Espoir D’Allen, Flooring Porter, Vanillier, and Inothewayurthinkin, Cromwell is a man to respect whenever he shows up at the track.
Looking ahead to the current season, the yard suffered an early blow with the news that Flooring Porter is out through injury. However, the dual Stayers Hurdle hero is far from the only Graded race talent who calls Danestown home.
Already closing in on 40 wins for the season, Cromwell is well placed to better his 2023/24 tally of 86 and may have the horses to add to his Grade 1 total. Here, we look at the standout runners from this impressive operation and outline those within our horse tracker.
Stable Stars
Inothewayurthinkin
Long held in high regard, this Walk In The Park gelding didn’t hit the heights in the first part of last season but exploded into life when it mattered most. Much the best when coming home 8l clear in the Kim Muir Challenge Cup at the Cheltenham Festival, he backed that up with a career-best effort to claim the Grade 1 Mildmay Novices’ Chase at Aintree. Moving into open company will demand more, but he heads into the season on a sharp upward trajectory.
Brides Hill
Picked up a Listed win at Thurles in 2022/23 and emerged as a significantly improved performer last season. Ending the campaign with a perfect four-from-four record, her final outing saw her bag a Grade 2 at Punchestown by a resounding 21-lengths. At her best on good to soft or better, the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival is the obvious long-term goal.
Limerick Lace
Another Cromwell runner by star sire Walk In The Park, Limerick Lace won only a maiden event over hurdles but has found her niche since switching to fences. Showing remarkable improvement when moving out of Novice company, she won three times last season, including when getting on top late to land a thrilling edition of the Mares’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival. Stepped right up in trip for the Grand National on her final start, she did well to finish tenth following significant interference at Canal Turn. A defence of her Mares’ Chase crown and a possible second Aintree outing may be on the cards this year.
Seven for the Horse Tracker
Of the above trio, Inothewayurthinkin is the most exciting runner, with talk of a tilt at the Cheltenham Gold Cup perfectly reasonable on the back of last season’s efforts. However, he isn’t the only Cromwell runner we will have a keen eye on this season, with the following seven horses looking particularly interesting.
- Bioluminescence – Strapping Walk In The Park Mare who enjoyed an excellent first season over hurdles – headlined by a Grade 3 success in the Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle at Limerick. She goes chasing this season and, given her size, looks the type to scale greater heights over fences.
- Hello Neighbour – Making his debut in September, this son of Harzand won twice on the flat over 1m6f and 1m2½f. Having displayed a nice mix of speed and stamina in those wins, it will be interesting to see how high he can fly in the juvenile hurdle division.
- Mywayofthinkin – Going in the same green and gold silks of JP McManus and similarly named, this five-year-old is a half-brother to Inothewayurthinkin. Having shown promise when second in two Bumpers, he rounded off last season with a comfortable success in a 15-runner Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown. Given his powerful connections and eye-catching pedigree, he’s a must for this list.
- Now Is The Hour – Stamina-laden sort who ran away with the Grade 2 Albert Bartlett Prestige Novices’ Hurdle at Haydock last term. He then ran well over a trip too short on his final outing and is one to remember when faced with a staying trip on heavy ground.
- Only By Night – Joined Cromwell from Jonjo O’Neill ahead of the 2023/24 season and immediately embarked on a three-race winning spree. Form tailed off after that, but she posted a decent effort when placed in Listed company on her final start. This one is in a similar mould to Bioluminescence and is expected to improve this season as she sets foot onto the novice chase scene.
- Sixandahalf – Landed her bumper by eleven lengths in April and has since performed well on the flat – winning a competitive handicap at Newmarket and finishing third in the Irish Cesarewitch. Now rated 98 on the level, she could progress to become a contender for the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham if taking to the jumping game.
- Will The Wise – Impressive winner of his Point-to-Point in November 2023, Will The Wise toughed it out well to follow up in a Punchestown. He managed only a nine-length second on his hurdling bow at the track in November but likely ran into a Willie Mullins flying machine that day. Those two most recent efforts were over 2m, but he’s closely related to several smart stayers and will be of major interest when moving up in trip.
Paul Harrison
Falling in love with racing at a young age, Paul’s passion for sports and betting took him to Salford University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Economics with Gambling Studies. Having spent ten years in the employment of a leading bookmaker, Paul opted to go it alone and pursue his dream job as a freelance writer.
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