The China Mail - Inothewayurthinkin denies Mullins, Galopin Des Champs Gold Cup hat-trick

The Gavin Cromwell-trained horse, a 15/2 shot, ran down odds-on favourite Galopin Des Champs in the closing furlongs to seal the win after the two-time defending champion had cruised to the front.

"Absolutely speechless. He was hanging in all the time that he was flat out, he's such a good horse," said Walsh after winning the race for the first time. "I'm just thrilled."

Mullins' Galopin Des Champs had been bidding to become the first horse to win the race, run over three miles and two furlongs, in three straight years since Best Mate in 2004, but came up just short.

He finished six lengths back in second place, with 40/1 outsider Gentlemansgame in third.

The shock result denied Mullins a fifth success from as many races, after winning the first four on the card.

It was a seventh successive Irish win in the race considered the blue riband of jumps racing.

Inothewayurthinkin was already the favourite for April's Grand National at Aintree, and Cromwell said he could still attempt an unlikely double.

"What I don't know is the response we will get from him back home and I'll speak to JP and Frank (Berry the racing manager) -- potentially yes," he said when asked if his charge would bid to become only the second horse and first since Golden Miller in 1934 to complete the Gold Cup-Grand National double.

Synchronised, also owned by JP McManus, went to Aintree as the Gold Cup champion in 2012 but died after a fall during the Grand National.

On Friday, Galopin Des Champs struggled for his usual fluency under Paul Townend in the early stages of the race and was hampered when front-runner Ahoy Senor fell.

The eight-year-old still managed to take the lead but was passed by Inothewayurthinkin at the second-last fence.

"He's home and he's safe. He did avoid that danger and he knows what he's doing. He's home safe and that's all we want," Galopin Des Champs' owner Audrey Turley told the BBC.

The drama started when Ahoy Senor took a crashing tumble, leaving Gentlemansgame and The Real Whacker in the lead.

Second-favourite Banbridge quickly faded as the eventual top two took control.

Gentlemansgame held off Monty's Star for third but was still 18 lengths behind an ultimately dominant winner.

"It's a very exciting time and I will treasure it," said McManus. "I'd like to see the race again. I don't think I took it all in."

Corbetts Cross, another McManus horse, suffered a fatal injury in a heavy fall.

- Mullins' quadruple -

In the day's first race, Mullins got off to a flying start as Poniros became the joint-longest-odds winner in modern Cheltenham history at 100/1 in the Grade One Triumph Hurdle.

Poniros, on his first start over hurdles, matched the previous records of Nortons Coin (1990 Gold Cup) and Hipparchus (1954 Grand Annual), edging out Lulamba by a neck.

Mullins' success continued with victories for favourites Kargese in the County Handicap Hurdle and Dinoblue in the Mares' Chase.

Townend timed his run from the back of the field on Jasmin De Vaux to perfection to take the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle and help Mullins equal his own record with a 10th winner of the week.

O.Yip--ThChM