For flat trainers, a Royal Ascot win features towards the top of the wish list, whilst National Hunt handlers covet little more than a triumph at the Cheltenham Festival. Not content with fulfilling one dream, Irish trainer extraordinaire Gavin Cromwell has already plundered six Cheltenham Festival victories – including two famous successes – at the Royal Meeting.
Such results have earned Cromwell a reputation as one of the finest dual-purpose trainers on either side of the Irish Sea. If 2025 is any guide, he intends to continue his ascent.
Electric Start to the Season
So far in 2025, the County Meath handler has picked up five events at Listed level or above. Those victories include a treble at the Dublin Racing Festival, headlined by the Grade 1 success of Hello Neighbour in the Gannon’s City Recovery & Recycling Services Juvenile Hurdle.
The efforts of 2025 have built on a strong end to 2024, which featured five big race victories in December. The common thread amongst those ten recent wins at Listed level or above is that all 10 came in Cromwell’s homeland. Now, with the big springtime festivals swinging into view, Cromwell has his eyes on British success on the biggest stage of all.
Four Favourites Lead the Charge
One month before the 2025 Cheltenham Festival, Cromwell is putting the finishing touches to what promises to be his biggest-ever team at the March marvel. Punters eagerly await news of his intended handicap contenders, but the markets have already taken heed of the following four Cromwell stars, who currently top the betting for their respective targets.
Sixandahalf – Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle
Cromwell tasted success in a mares-only event at the 2024 Cheltenham Festival when saddling Limerick Lace to a thrilling victory in the Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase. This time, his best chance may come in the opening contest on Day 3.
Making her debut in March 2024, Sixandahalf landed a Bumper at the second time of asking before adding Maiden and Handicap victories on the flat. A promising start, but not one which suggested a Graded class hurdler in the making. However, the daughter of Snow Sky made everyone sit up and take notice when slamming a field containing highly regarded sorts from the yards of Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott by 12 lengths at Fairyhouse in January. This race was mentioned as the big target in the aftermath of that event, and she now heads the betting at a general price of 5/2.
Now Is The Hour – National Hunt Novices’ Chase
The last race on the opening day will be run under handicap conditions for the first time in 2025. The 3m2f event also sees a change in the riding arrangements. Previously restricted to amateur riders, the race is now open to the professionals.
Having claimed six of the past eight editions, will those alterations affect the Irish dominance of the marathon event? The odds compilers suspect not. Leading the way amongst a host of strong Irish challengers is this Cromwell-trained eight-year-old. An impressive winner of a Grade 2 at Haydock last season, he showed signs of returning to form at Naas in January and may be ready to peak at just the right time.
Stumptown – Cross Country Chase
Another Cheltenham staying event and another race which has been farmed by the Irish in recent times. Since 2015, only French trainer David Cottin has broken the Emerald Isle’s stranglehold of this contest over the distinctive obstacles.
Cromwell is yet to add his name to the list of Irish trainers who have plundered this prize, but that may change in 2025. In two previous Cheltenham Festival appearances, Stumptown came closest to victory when going down by just a neck in the 2023 Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup. Three years on, he may be ready to go one better. Two from three in Irish banks races, he showed a liking for this course when landing the big Cross Country event at the December Meeting.
Backtonormal – Kim Muir Challenge Cup
Inothewayurthinking produced one of the most scintillating performers of the 2024 festival when storming up the hill to score by eight lengths in this event. 12 months on, Cromwell bids to repeat the feat with this seven-year-old son of Milan.
A win on handicap debut!
Backtonormal is a comfortable winner of the O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey Leopardstown Handicap Chase! #ITVRacing | @LeopardstownRC | @conorstonewalsh |@gavincromwell11 pic.twitter.com/jvUcVLuoq2
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) February 2, 2025
Formerly based with Margaret Mullins, Backtonormal scored on debut for Cromwell in May 2024, suggesting a big season may lie ahead in 2024/25. Three outings and three heavy defeats left many scratching their heads, but Cromwell is a master at having his runners in peak condition when it really matters. Back to form with an easy success at Leopardstown last time out, he’s a general 7/1 favourite for the Day 3 finale.
