"It's the best thing to do by the horse" - Inothewayurthinkin will NOT run in the 2025 Grand National

Cromwell and jockey, Mark Walsh celebrated their first victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup last week. Few expected Galopin Des Champs to lose as he went for three Gold Cups in a row, but Inothewayurthinkin stole the show, handing the defending champion a sound six-length beating.

No horse has won the Gold Cup and the Grand National in the same year since the great achieved that legendary feat in 1934. In the immediate aftermath of Friday's win, Cromwell said he was tempted to run his Gold Cup winner in the feature race at Aintree on April 5th. However, speaking to the press today, the team have had a change of heart.

"We've decided to take Inothewayurthinkin out of the Grand National." Cromwell explained on Tuesday. 

"He's only seven and we've worked so hard on his jumping this season that we feel it just might be a backward step to run him at Aintree. We're absolutely delighted to win a Gold Cup and it might be asking a bit much of him to try to win a Grand National as well at the age of seven.

"He came out of the Gold Cup in great shape and he has the option of running in the Punchestown Gold Cup at the end of April. We'll see how he is over the next few weeks before making a decision on that, but he won't be running in the Grand National anyway. 

"We feel it's the best thing to do by the horse. As I said, we're delighted to win a Gold Cup. It's a day we'll never forget."

With Inothewayurthinkin officially out of the race, Irish Grand National winner, Intense Raffles has risen to the head of the betting for the 2025 Grand National. 

Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes told RacingInsider.com, “Dreams of a first Gold Cup-Grand National double since 1934 have been dashed. News of Inothewayurthinkin’s withdrawal has naturally shaken up the market, with Intense Raffles favoured to follow I Am Maximus’ lead and follow up an Irish Grand National victory with success at Aintree.”

Even without Inothewayurthinkin in the running, JP McManus won't be short of representatives in this year's Grand National. Defending champion, I Am Maximus and former Cheltenham Festival winner, Iroko sit second and third in Ladbrokes' betting. Perceval Legallois, Meetingofthewaters and Capodanno are also pencilled in to represent the sport's leading owner in Aintree's main event.