Last year's Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Inothewayurthinkin is a doubt for this year's race after his Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup run.
The eight-year-old was brilliant at last year's Festival in beating Galopin Des Champs by six lengths as he recorded his second win at the meeting in a row following a facile Kim Muir Challenge Cup victory in the previous campaign.
Gavin Cromwell's horse has been well below-par in three outings so far this season, though, and with owner JP McManus having other Gold Cup options to call upon there is a doubt about him even running at Cheltenham.
Speaking to William Hill, Cromwell said: “Inothewayurthinkin is fine after the Irish Gold Cup and he’s back riding out now. He was unfortunate to fall at the last after getting tired, but thankfully he was just a bit winded after it and has come out of it fine. I actually thought he’d run an okay race to that point. It was a big improvement from Christmas – it was just a pity to see him fall.
“The reality of it is that he’s now seen as an outside chance for the Gold Cup and he’ll have to take a huge step forward to be competitive there. It is still up in the air as to whether he even goes.
"Unless we’re very happy with him when the time comes, he won’t be going to the Gold Cup.”
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