I don’t think we can talk about Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season without putting his name right at the top of the list. Over the last few seasons he’s gone from being “the farrier who trains a few” to being firmly in what people now call the big four of Irish jumps trainers.
He’s already won the Champion Hurdle with Espoir d’Allen, the Stayers’ Hurdle twice with Flooring Porter, and the Mares’ Chase with Limerick Lace. And then, in March 2025, he added the one that really changes your status for good: the Cheltenham Gold Cup, thanks to Inothewayurthinkin, who knocked Galopin Des Champs off his pedestal.
The 2024/25 season was statistically his best yet, packed with big-handicap wins at home, a Gold Cup at Cheltenham, a famous Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown with Perceval Legallois, and a Cross Country success at Cheltenham followed by a historic victory in the Velka Pardubicka with Stumptown.
So for 2025/26, I’ve put together my own list of 10 Gavin Cromwell horses to follow — names I’d happily keep in my tracker if I were betting week in, week out this National Hunt season.
If you enjoy this kind of content, you can find more guides like this in my Horses to Follow section, where I cover the standout jumpers from other top National Hunt trainers this season.
We’ll keep updating this guide to Gavin Cromwell’s horses to follow as they run throughout the jumps season.
Gavin Cromwell and his National Hunt yard
Gavin Cromwell trains at Danestown, near Navan in County Meath, in a modern National Hunt yard that has grown fast in the last decade. You can check his latest stats and runner details on his official Racing Post trainer profile. What started as a 14-acre setup is now a serious operation with more than 150 boxes and top-class gallops.
He built it while still working as a farrier. In fact, he only gave that up a few years ago, after winning the Champion Hurdle with Espoir d’Allen. That story alone shows the work ethic behind this yard.
Cromwell is one of the most versatile Irish trainers. He has won a Cheltenham Gold Cup, a Champion Hurdle, and a Stayers’ Hurdle, plus Group races on the Flat in France and Royal Ascot. Few can match that mix of talent.
His strength is placement. He knows exactly when and where to run his horses. If you like betting on well-prepared runners, Cromwell is your man.
Over the past three seasons, he has averaged more than 50 winners per year. In 2024/25, he finished third in the Irish trainers’ championship and maintained a strong strike rate in Britain.
Achievements and key stats from recent seasons
The 2024/25 season was a landmark one:
- Cheltenham Gold Cup with Inothewayurthinkin
- Mares’ Chase with Limerick Lace
- Cross Country Chase and Velka Pardubicka with Stumptown – the first Irish-trained winner of that race
- Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown with Perceval Legallois
He also trained Hello Neighbour, a Grade 1 juvenile hurdler at the Dublin Racing Festival. His 2025/26 team includes promising soft-ground chasers and progressive mares already mentioned in his William Hill season preview.
That’s why, heading into the 2025/26 National Hunt season, I believe Gavin Cromwell fully deserves his own list of horses to follow. Below are ten names that should stay in your tracker this winter.
My 10 Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season
1. Inothewayurthinkin – the Gold Cup hero
Any list of Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season has to start with Inothewayurthinkin. The reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup winner was the horse that officially lifted Cromwell into the elite.
He went from landing the Kim Muir in 2024 to being supplemented for the Gold Cup the following year — and he made it count. He stormed up the Cheltenham hill to beat Galopin Des Champs by six lengths, proving himself a genuine staying star.
Inothewayurthinkin has improved with every season. His novice form already hinted at high class, and his Irish Gold Cup run confirmed it. The team briefly thought about the Grand National, but JP McManus didn’t want to risk another Gold Cup winner at Aintree after Synchronised.
For 2025/26, the plan is clear: defend his Gold Cup crown. Expect the same prep route — John Durkan, Savills Chase, Irish Gold Cup, then back to Cheltenham.
From a betting point of view, he’s not a horse to follow blindly every run. But when he appears over three miles on soft ground with a testing finish, he’s a rock-solid each-way anchor. If he lines up again in March, he’ll be one of the toughest to oppose.
2. Stumptown – the cross-country and marathon king
Stumptown is one of the most fascinating Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. His story last year had everything: travel, adventure, and history in the making.
He began the campaign in long-distance handicaps in Ireland before heading to Cheltenham, where he landed the Cross Country Chase in great style. That alone would have made his season.
Then came something truly special. Cromwell sent him to the Czech Republic for the Velka Pardubicka, one of the toughest races in Europe. Stumptown made history as the first Irish-trained winner of that famous event.
He’s now a proven marathon horse who thrives on stamina and rhythm. For 2025/26, expect another tilt at Cheltenham’s cross-country races, and possibly an entry for the Grand National if the ground turns soft and the weight suits.
He’s not flashy, but he’s relentless. In staying chases where courage and fitness matter more than speed, Stumptown is exactly the kind of horse you want on your side.
To plan ahead and keep track of when the key races are coming up, you can check the updated National Hunt 2025/26 calendar, where all major fixtures in Britain and Ireland are listed week by week.
3. Vanillier – the Aintree warrior
Vanillier is one of the Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. He’s a familiar name to punters, and yet it feels like there’s still one big day left in him.
Best known for finishing second in the 2023 Grand National behind Corach Rambler, he returned to Aintree in 2024 and 2025, where luck just wasn’t on his side. Even so, his runs showed plenty of fire and stamina.
In recent seasons, Vanillier has mixed Grand Nationals, cross-country and staying handicap chases, proving he still enjoys the game. Gavin Cromwell has said he’ll aim him again at the Cheltenham Cross Country Chase and then another try at Aintree — if the horse keeps showing that spark at home.
At ten, he’s in “one last big day” territory, but he remains a fighter. Whenever he turns up in a marathon on soft ground and sneaks in with a light weight, he’s one to keep on side. He’s the kind of seasoned warrior who may no longer be a secret, but still gives you a run for your money.
4. Limerick Lace – classy mare with unfinished business
Limerick Lace is one of the most talented Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. She gave the yard its first Cheltenham Festival success in the Mares’ Chase (2024), travelling powerfully and staying every yard of the 2m4½f trip.
The 2024/25 season was a little frustrating. Gavin Cromwell himself admitted he couldn’t fully explain a few quiet runs, but he’s never lost faith in her. She kept her place among the yard’s leading mares, running in top Graded races and even getting early mentions for Aintree entries.
On form, she stays three miles, handles most ground, and still feels unexposed at the top level. That’s an ideal profile for a comeback campaign.
I’ll be watching her when she runs at 2m4f–3m on left-handed tracks like Cheltenham or Punchestown, especially with a bit of cut in the ground. She’s the kind of mare punters can easily overlook when focusing on the Mullins or de Bromhead stars — and that’s when she becomes value each-way material again.
5. Bioluminescence – big, scopey mare for soft-ground chases
Bioluminescence is one of the most exciting Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. A tall, athletic mare from the point-to-point scene, she’s improved with every step — from bumpers to hurdles, and now to fences.
Over the last two years she’s shown plenty of ability. She’s won on heavy ground at Punchestown and Limerick, chased home Grade 1 winner Dancing City, and impressed when landing a Grade 2 mares’ chase that boosted her profile for the Cheltenham Mares’ Chase.
Gavin Cromwell has made her plan clear for 2025/26: she’ll stay in mares-only chases, and needs soft ground to show her best. When she gets those conditions, she’s definitely Graded class.
From a betting point of view, the rule is simple. Avoid her on quick ground, but when she lines up in a 2m4f–3m mares’ chase on soft or heavy going at a big track like Cheltenham or Leopardstown, she’s a serious player. She jumps well, stays strongly, and still has improvement to come.nham, she’s exactly the kind of horse I want to be with. She jumps well, she stays, and she’s still improving.
Update as of 6 November 2025: Bioluminiscence didn’t have a strong start to the 2025/2026 jumps season. In a 2m5f race at Clonmel with six runners, he could only finish third. He was sent off at 7/2 with an OR of 145 (final RPR 119). He travelled in second for most of the race, but was headed before approaching the last fence and couldn’t match the winner, the favourite Spindleberry.
6. Now Is The Hour – staying chaser in the making
Now Is The Hour is a big, genuine horse and one of the Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. He’s built for stamina tests and always gives his best when the ground turns soft.
In the past two years he’s shown plenty of promise — winning a Grade 2 over three miles at Haydock on heavy and taking a maiden hurdle at Tipperary. He also ran a blinder at the Cheltenham Festival, catching punters’ eyes and moving sharply in the market.
He’s still a maiden over fences, but Gavin Cromwell has said the goal this season is clear: get that first win and target the big staying handicaps, perhaps the Troytown or the Irish Grand National Trial.
I’d treat him as a horse who might start quietly and then explode into form later in the season. In long-distance chases on soft or heavy ground, he’s a real player — the type that lands you a big-priced each-way return when least expected.
7. Only By Night – progressive mare over fences
Only By Night is one of those Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season that could easily fly under the radar. She started out as a point-to-point winner, then added a bumper and a Listed mares’ bumper before making a smooth transition to hurdles.
Gavin Cromwell has always said she’d improve once she went chasing — and he’s been right so far. By autumn 2025 he mentioned her as a second-season novice chaser who could start over two miles at Naas, with a long-term goal of the Cheltenham Mares’ Chase if all goes to plan.
She handles soft ground, has enough pace for two miles, and looks like a natural to step up to 2m4f as she matures. With her size, scope, and steady progress, she’s exactly the type who sneaks into mares-only Graded races at value odds. Keep her in mind — she’s improving, reliable, and might just turn into a Festival contender.
Update as of 9 November 2025: Only By Night made a winning start to the 2025/26 jumps season. He scored at Naas in a Grade 3 over 2m, a five-runner contest. Sent off at 4/1 with an OR of 148, he earned an RPR of 150. He travelled in fourth for most of the race, moved into third with three obstacles to go, soon went second, and in the home straight he battled on strongly to beat Champ Kiely — one of the favourites — by a nose.
8. Hello Neighbour – classy juvenile turned proper hurdler
Hello Neighbour is one of the most exciting Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. He’s a smart type who already showed real class as a juvenile and looks ready to mix it with the best hurdlers in open company.
Before ever jumping a hurdle, he won twice on the Flat for Gavin Cromwell. When he switched to obstacles, he made an instant impact — landing a Grade 2 and then the Grade 1 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown, beating runners from Ireland’s biggest yards.
Cromwell described him as “a proper one”, and that tells you everything. The yard aimed him at the Triumph Hurdle before a small setback paused his progress, but he’s back in full work now.
For 2025/26, I see him as a horse who might go a bit under the radar early on. He’s versatile with ground, has the gears from his Flat days, and stays strongly over 2m–2m2f. Keep him in mind for races like the County Hurdle at Cheltenham or spring Grade 2s at Fairyhouse and Punchestown — he’s got the class to make noise again soon.
9. Perceval Legallois – big-field handicap specialist
Perceval Legallois is one of the most reliable Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. If you like backing tough handicappers in huge fields, he’s your kind of horse.
He finally got his reward in the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown (December 2024), travelling sweetly and pulling clear after the last to give JP McManus yet another victory in that famous race. Before that, he had a “nearly horse” label — plenty of solid runs, even a fall at the last when in contention — but that win proved his class and resilience.
Gavin Cromwell has already mentioned the next targets: the Grand National, the Troytown Handicap, and another shot at Leopardstown’s big Christmas chase. He’ll take each race as it comes, but this horse thrives in those big, staying handicaps over three miles and beyond.
He might be high enough in the weights now, yet he remains consistent and genuine. On softish ground, in a big field with a strong pace, he’s the type who can grind it out and reward each-way punters again this season.
10. Welonlyhavedone – an upside horse over hurdles
Welonlyhavedone is the dark horse on my list of Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season. He’s a five-year-old with potential still untapped, and I’ve got the feeling we haven’t seen the best of him yet.
He started with a win in a point-to-point and later had a few runs for Gavin Cromwell at Galway, including a quiet bumper effort that didn’t reflect how well regarded he was at home. Once sent hurdling, he showed his real ability — winning nicely on debut and then running a huge race before falling at the last next time out.
Cromwell said it was a tough fall but confirmed he’s come out perfectly fine, and the team remains very positive about his future. He’s rated in the low 120s for now, which leaves room for improvement as he gains confidence and experience.
I’ll be following him closely in novice hurdles and early-season handicaps at the big, galloping Irish tracks where stamina counts. He’s the type who could pop up at a double-figure price and make you look clever for keeping faith — one for the tracker, without a doubt.
Update as of 14 November 2025: The first major test for Welonlyhavedone didn’t go as hoped. Running in a Class 1 race at Cheltenham over 2m5f with nine runners, he failed to finish. Sent off at 12/1, he was always towards the rear of the field. Three obstacles from home the jockey pulled him up, with no chance left. The rider later commented that the horse hadn’t travelled well at any point during the race. A disappointing debut performance.
Final thoughts
So that’s my shortlist of 10 Gavin Cromwell horses to follow for the 2025/26 National Hunt season:
Inothewayurthinkin
Stumptown
Vanillier
Limerick Lace
Bioluminescence
Now Is The Hour
Only By Night
Hello Neighbour
Perceval Legallois
Welonlyhavedone
It’s a deliberate mix — proven Grade 1 winners, festival heroes, Grand National stayers, talented mares, and a couple of dark horses that could explode this year.
The goal isn’t to expect them to win every time. It’s about recognising when the setup is right — trip, ground, track, or market move — and knowing their stories and targets before the rest of the crowd. That’s where you find your edge.
Gavin Cromwell’s yard is one of the most reliable for punters right now. He places his horses smartly, targets big days at Cheltenham, Fairyhouse, and Punchestown, and keeps them fit for the heart of the Irish National Hunt season.
If you’re planning to bet on any of the Festival races, don’t miss my detailed Cheltenham Racecourse Betting Guide, where I break down the track’s unique characteristics, key trends, and the angles that matter most for punters.
If even two or three of these ten deliver a good return between winter and spring 2026, this list will have done its job. land you a decent return over the winter and spring, the list will have done its job.
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