Born in Ardcath, County Meath, Ireland, Gavin Cromwell’s dream was to become a professional jockey.
He gained early experience working in a number of different yards in Ireland (with Dessie Hughes), in Newmarket, England (with Paul Kellaway), while he also enjoyed time in Australia at Flemington Racecourse.
Following his return to Ireland, he underwent a four-year apprenticeship to become a farrier and ended up building a notable business. Even after obtaining his trainer’s license in 2005, Cromwell continued to work as a farrier from his base at Danestown in County Meath.
In April 2007, Cromwell claimed his first winner under rules; Dodder Walk proved victorious at Cork in a handicap hurdle. In the years that followed, Cromwell didn’t have many successes really while the 2008-2011 financial crisis impacted his farrier business.
Persistence Eventually Pays Off
Cromwell’s first Grade 1 breakthrough came in March 2016 at Fairyhouse when he won the Mares’ Novice Hurdle Championship Final and this caught the attention of major owners like JP McManus.
Winning the Welsh Grand National in 2018 with Raz De Maree followed, while on the flat, he trained Princess Yaiza to the Group 2 Prix de Royallieu to glory at Paris Longchamp.
In 2019, Cromwell delivered his first prestigious win of his career, producing a significant shock in the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival with five-year-old Espoir D’Allen.
Further success swiftly followed. He trained Flooring Porter to back-to-back Stayers’ Hurdle victories in 2021 and 2022 which became the first horse to achieve this since Big Buck’s. In 2025, he rose to the pinnacle of the sport when he trained Inothewayurthinkin to Cheltenham Festival Gold Cup glory, denying heavy favourite Galopin Des Champs a third successive victory.
He has also had a number of near misses in the Grand National, with a number of places, most notably, Vanilier in 2023, who finished a close second.
Versatility A Key Component For His Impressive Success
It is very rare to have trainers who can operate both in flat and jump racing, though Cromwell has proven that he can do this and do it well.
Not only has he trained winners in both disciplines; he has won flagship races. Winning the Irish Cambridgeshire in 2014 with Sretaw and significantly, the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2021 with Quick Suzy has helped to cement his position as one of the best dual trainers in the sport.
After getting into training race horses, initially as just a hobby, it is unlikely that Cromwell expected to experience such success. Both his father and uncle had proven to be competent trainers in his native Ireland, so he clearly had the aptitude.
However, he saw it mainly as an outlet; a distraction from his primary work as a farrier, which enabled him to make an income, though his skill and work with his horses paid off, being quick to catch the attention of notable owners in the sport.