Inothewayurthinkin Back on Track for Cheltenham Gold Cup Defence

The champion chaser Inothewayurthinkin is back on course to defend his crown in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup in two weeks, following a series of setbacks earlier this season. The eight-year-old gelding, trained by Gavin Cromwell and owned by JP McManus, had the chasing world at his feet after denying Galopin Des Champs a hat-trick of triumphs in the National Hunt Festival's feature race last March.

Seasonal Struggles and Recovery

However, things took a sharp turn for the worse this campaign. Inothewayurthinkin was beaten by an aggregate of 94 lengths in his first two outings, and then suffered a tired fall at the final fence of the Irish Gold Cup at Leopardstown last time out. This led Cromwell to concede that the title defence was "up in the air", casting doubt over the horse's participation in the upcoming prestigious event.

But in a positive development, Frank Berry, JP McManus's racing manager, has revealed that the spark has returned in Inothewayurthinkin's homework this week. "Gavin is very happy with the way he's going and hopefully he will come round in time," reported Berry. "Touch wood, all is good with him so far and he'll be going there."

Betting and Competition

Inothewayurthinkin is currently priced at 12-1 with William Hill to become the 10th horse in the Gold Cup's 102-year history to win the race twice. He sits seventh in the betting for the Gold Cup, with Jango Baie as the 9-2 favourite among those entered. Other notable contenders include:

Fact To File at 4-1, though he still needs to be supplemented and may opt for the Ryanair Chase instead.
The Jukebox Man and Gaelic Warrior at 11-2, with the latter also possibly targeting the Ryanair.
Galopin Des Champs has drifted out to 7-1, while Haiti Couleurs is at 8-1.

Final Decision Pending

Connections will make a final decision on whether Inothewayurthinkin will line up for the Gold Cup on March 13 after putting him through his paces in the coming days. "He will do a serious bit at the weekend or early next week and they will make up their minds," added Berry. "But all good so far. At the minute, everything is good with him and they seem very happy."

This update provides a glimmer of hope for fans and bettors alike, as the defending champion aims to overcome a rocky start to the season and reclaim his status at the Cheltenham Festival.