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Last year’s Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Inothewayurthinkin will wear cheekpieces for the first time in the defence of his title on Friday.
With form figures of 59F this season, Inothewayurthinkin has been a shadow of his former self and connections have opted to use the headgear on the return to the scene of his greatest success.
He was declared with the aid in a final field of 11 for jump racing’s most prestigious race alongside the likes of The Jukebox Man, Jango Baie and Gaelic Warrior.
With Mark Walsh staying loyal to Inothewayurthinkin, Harry Cobden comes on for the ride on Cotswold Chase winner Spillane’s Tower for his soon-to-be new boss JP McManus.
Following a tired fall at the last in last month’s Irish Gold Cup when well beaten, Inothewayurthinkin’s Gold Cup participation had been in serious doubt.
However, in recent weeks trainer Gavin Cromwell has been pleased with the eight-year-old’s work at home and his odds have tumbled all the way into 13-2 having been 18-1 around a month ago.
Cheekpieces were all the rage on day one of Cheltenham with three of the seven winners sporting the aid, including Champion Hurdle heroine Lossiemouth, who was equipped with them for the first time.
King George hero The Jukebox Man makes his first start since his Kempton heroics in a bid for another famous success for his owner Harry Redknapp.
Two of the key Gold Cup contenders will be looking to reverse that form with festival winners Gaelic Warrior and Jango Baie, successful in the Arkle in 2024 and last year respectively, third and fourth in the King George.
Gaelic Warrior, who was second in the Irish Gold Cup last month, is the sole contender for Willie Mullins after two-time winner Galopin Des Champs was ruled out by injury and a decision was made not to supplement the Ryanair-bound Fact To File.
The Nicky Henderson-trained Jango Baie, who stormed up the hill from off the pace in the Arkle 12 months ago, was staying on at Kempton and the step up in trip is expected to suit.
Affordale Fury, Banbridge and Stellar Story were the three horses not to go forward to the Gold Cup.
Willie Mullins is responsible for almost half the field in the JCB Triumph Hurdle (1.20) with nine of the 20 runners hailing from the Closutton stable.
Mullins, who had 11 runners in the race last year when winning it with 100-1 shot Poniros, has won the juvenile contest in five of the last six years and has Proactif and Selma De Vary vying for favourite this time.
A maximum field of 22 has been declared for the Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3.20) with leading contenders Doctor Steinberg, Thedeviluno, Spinningayarn and Espresso Milan all going forward.
In the handicaps, third favourite A Pai De Nom missed the cut for the Martin Pipe (5.20).
Final fields for the three Cheltenham Festival Grade 1s on Friday
Envoi Allen Darragh O’Keeffe
Firefox Jack Kennedy
Gaelic Warrior Paul Townend
Gold Tweet Clement Lefebvre
Grey Dawning Harry Skelton
Haiti Couleurs Sean Bowen
Inothewayurthinkin Mark Walsh
Jango Baie Nico de Boinville
L’Homme Presse Charlie Deutsch
Spillane’s Tower Harry Cobden
The Jukebox Man Ben Jones
Latest odds
Paddy Power: 7-2 Gaelic Warrior, 4 Jango Baie, The Jukebox Man, 6 Haiti Couleurs, 13-2 Inothewayurthinkin, 10 Spillane’s Tower, 12 Grey Dawning, 20 Envoi Allen, 25 Firefox, 40 L’Homme Presse, 100 Gold Tweet
JCB Triumph Hurdle runners and riders
Apolon De Charnie Patrick Mullins
Berto Ramirez Darragh O’Keeffe
Fantasy World Nico de Boinville
Forty Fifty Jonathan Burke
Indian River Kielan Woods
Kai Lung Sean O’Keeffe
Lord Byron Ben Jones
Macho Man Brian Hayes
Maestro Conti Harry Skelton
Minella Academy Danny Mullins
Minella Study Ryan Mania
Mon Creuset Harry Cobden
North Shore Keith Donoghue
One Horse Town Paul O’Brien
Proactif Mark Walsh
Wolf Rayet Robert Dunne
Highland Crystal Jack Kennedy
Noemie De La Vis Daniel King
Selma De Vary Paul Townend
Tenter Le Tout Gavin Sheehan
Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle runners and riders
Doctor Du Mesnil Danny Mullins
Doctor Steinberg Paul Townend
Espresso Milan Patrick Mullins
Fruit De Mer Sean Flanagan
Hipop De Loire Harry Cobden
Jalon D’Oudairies Danny Gilligan
Johnny’s Jury Gavin Sheehan
Kazansky Jordan Gainford
Kicour La Callum Pritchard
King’s Bucks Darragh O’Keeffe
Kripticjim Brendan Powell
Mondoui’boy Ben Jones
Moneygarrow Harry Skelton
Road Exile Sam Ewing
Spinningayarn Jack Kennedy
Swindon Village David Bass
Tackletommywoowoo Declan Queally
Thedeviluno Sean O’Keeffe
The Passing Wife Keith Donoghue
The Price Of Peace Sean Bowen
Ubatuba Ben Sutton
Park Princess Sam Twiston-Davies
Visit our racecards for the final fields and odds for the rest of Friday’s card
- William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (2.00)
- Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Chase (2.40)
- Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Chase (4.40)
- Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (5.20)
Read more:
Ground quickens slightly for second day of the Cheltenham Festival – but rain and wind is on the way ahead of Gold Cup day
Harry Wilson’s Cheltenham day two tips: ‘He looks tailor-made for this test’
Gold Cup: star ratings and analysis for the signature race of the Cheltenham Festival
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