Norton's Coin
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Norton's Coin (16 March 1981 – 15 January 2001) was a British
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse, best known for his 100/1 win in the 1990
Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlon ...
. He was an obscurely-bred
gelding A gelding (Help:IPA/English, /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castration, castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated Camelidae, camels. By compa ...
owned and trained in Wales by Sirrell Griffiths, a dairy farmer who had only two other horses in his stable. After success on the amateur Point-to-point circuit and in hunter chases Norton's Coin graduated to professional competition as a seven-year-old in 1988. In his first season under
National Hunt National Hunt Racing, also known as Jump Racing, is a form of horse racing particular to many European countries, including, but not limited to: France, Great Britain and Ireland. Jump Racing requires horses to jump over fences and ditches. In ...
rules he showed promise and won the Silver Trophy Chase in April at
Cheltenham Racecourse Cheltenham Racecourse at Prestbury Park, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, hosts National Hunt horse racing. Racing at Cheltenham took place in 1815, but comprised only minor flat races on Nottingham Hill. The first racing on Cleeve ...
. He struggled to win in the following season, but left all his previous form well behind to record his most famous win over Toby Tobias and the favourite
Desert Orchid Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), known as ''Dessie'', was an English racehorse. The grey achieved a revered and esteemed status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attac ...
in Britain's most important weight-for-age steeplechase. Norton's Coin was injured in winning the Gold Cup and won only once (a repeat win in the Silver Trophy) in his remaining eighteen races. He developed breathing problems and was retired in 1993. He spent his retirement on Griffiths' farm before dying from a suspected heart attack in January 2001.


Background

Norton's Coin was a gelding with a white blaze, described by his owner as an "ugly, plain chestnut". He was the only horse of any consequence sired by Mount Cassino, a fairly useful racehorse but not a top-class performer (rated 92 by
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), who recorded the better of his two wins in a handicap race at
Sandown Park Racecourse Sandown Park is a horse racing course and leisure venue in Esher, Surrey, England, located in the outer suburbs of London. It hosts 5 Grade One National Hunt racing, National Hunt races and one Group One, Group 1 flat race, the Eclipse Sta ...
in 1973. Norton's Coin was the only foal produced by his dam Grove Chance, an unraced mare who was descended from Bebe Grande, the leading British two-year-old filly of 1952. Bebe Grand's other descendants have included Lure and the
Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown ...
winner Pieces of Eight. At the time of Norton's Coin's conception, both his parents were owned by Sirrell Griffiths, a
dairy farmer Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is food processing, processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy ...
who kept a few horses at Rwyth Farm near the village of
Nantgaredig Nantgaredig is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is about east of the county town of Carmarthen on the A40 in the parish of Llanegwad. The population was around 524 as of the 2011 census. Notable people The village is most notable for ...
in
Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...
. He had bought the stallion and the mare for 700
guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...
and £500 respectively. Griffiths sold the pregnant Grove Chance to Percy Thomas, who was officially Norton's Coin's breeder. Norton's Coin began his racing career on the amateur Point-to-point circuit and won several races for Percy Thomas. After the horse won one of his two hunter chases in 1987 Griffiths bought Norton's Coin back for approximately £5000 in 1987 and trained him throughout the rest of his racing career. In his point-to-point races and in his hunter chase win, the gelding was ridden by the leading Welsh amateur jockey Tim Jones. In late 1988, Jones was attending a dinner dance for the local point-to-point community when he was asked about the prospects of local horses by the guest speaker
Peter Scudamore Peter Michael Scudamore MBE (born 29 June 1958), often known as 'Scu', is a trainer and former jockey in National Hunt racing. He was an eight-time Champion Jockey (including one title shared with John Francome), riding 1,678 winning horse ...
: Jones told Scudamore that Norton's Coin would win a Gold Cup. Griffiths was the holder of a training permit rather than a full licence, meaning that he was only allowed to train horses which he (or his immediate family) also owned.


Racing career


1988/1989 National Hunt season

Norton's Coin began his career in professional company by finishing third in a minor handicap
chase Chase or CHASE may refer to: Businesses * Chase Bank, a national American financial institution * Chase UK, a British retail bank * Chase Aircraft (1943–1954), a defunct American aircraft manufacturer * Chase Coaches, a defunct bus operator in ...
at
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in December 1988. Later that month he finished second in two handicaps at Hereford Racecourse and then finished fourth when favourite for a similar event at
Chepstow Chepstow () is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the western end of the ...
in January. Norton's Coin's form began to improve in spring and he recorded his first success when ridden by
Richard Dunwoody Thomas Richard Dunwoody MBE (born 18 January 1964) is a retired British National Hunt jockey. He was a three-time British Champion Jockey. He was the only jockey of his generation to win the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hu ...
to a ten-
length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...
win at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse on 8 March. He made his first appearance at the
Cheltenham Festival The Cheltenham Festival is a horse racing-based meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar in the United Kingdom, with race prize money second only to the Grand National. The four-day festival takes place annually in March at Cheltenham Race ...
eight days later when he started a 25/1 outsider for the two and a half mile Cathcart Challenge Cup. Ridden by Hywel Davies, he was towards the rear of the nine-runner field before making steady progress to finish second behind Observer Corps. His race came an hour after
Desert Orchid Desert Orchid (11 April 1979 – 13 November 2006), known as ''Dessie'', was an English racehorse. The grey achieved a revered and esteemed status within National Hunt racing, where he was much loved by supporters for his front-running attac ...
had won the Gold Cup at the same venue. Norton's Coin was then moved up in distance for a three-mile handicap chase at Newbury and won by three lengths from Fair Child. On his final appearance of the season, the gelding was ridden by Dunwoody when he started a 20/1 outsider for the Silver Trophy Chase over two and a half miles at Cheltenham on 19 April. He raced behind the leaders before taking the lead on the run-in and won by two and a half lengths from Aughavogue, with the other beaten horses including Beau Ranger, Panto Prince and Golden Freeze.


1989/1990 National Hunt season

After a break of more than eight months, Norton's Coin returned on 26 December when he was moved up sharply in class to contest the
King George VI Chase The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Kempton Park over a dis ...
over three miles at
Kempton Park Racecourse Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track together with a alcohol licensing laws of the United Kingdom, licensed entertainment and conference venue in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London; it is 13 miles ...
. Starting a 33/1 outsider, he was ridden for the first time by Graham McCourt who became his regular jockey. He made several jumping errors and began to tire two fences out before finishing last of the six runners, thirty-nine lengths behind the winner Desert Orchid. A drop back to two miles in January brought no improvement as he finished ninth of ten in the Victor Chandler Chase. Later that month he showed better form when running second in a handicap at Cheltenham, conceding ten pounds to the winner, and then finished third on heavy ground when favourite a handicap at Newbury in February. After the Newbury race, the gelding contracted a throat infection which interrupted his training. Griffiths had entered the horse for the Gold Cup early in the season but Norton's Coin's moderate form and health problems led him to look for alternative targets at the Cheltenham Festival. When he realised that the horse was ineligible for the Cathcart, and had missed the entry deadline for the
Mildmay of Flete Handicap Chase Mildmay may refer to: Places *Mildmay, Islington, Greater London, United Kingdom *Mildmay, Ontario, Canada People Title * Baron Mildmay of Flete, a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Surname * Mildmay baronets, two baronetcies of Mouls ...
, he reverted to his original plan and allowed him to take his chance in the championship race. Griffiths said that he was hoping to finish in the first six in order to recover the £1,000 entry fee. On 15 March 1990 Norton's Coin, ridden by McCourt, started at odds of 100/1 in a twelve-runner field for the 63rd running of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. On the morning of the race, Griffiths milked his cows before driving the
horse trailer A horse trailer or horse van (also called a horse float in Australia and New Zealand or horsebox in the British Isles) is used to transport horses. There are many different designs, ranging in size from small units capable of holding two or thre ...
carrying his horse to the racecourse. Desert Orchid was made the 10/11 favourite ahead of Bonanza Boy (winner of the Racing Post Chase and
Welsh National The Coral Welsh Grand National is a Premier Handicap National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Chepstow, Wales, over a distance of ...
) and the
Jenny Pitman Jennifer Susan Pitman OBE (''née'' Harvey, born 11 June 1946 "Jenny Pitman, The Autobiography") is a British former racehorse trainer and author. She became the first woman to train a Grand National winner when Corbiere won the race in 1983, ...
-trained Toby Tobias. The other contenders included Cavvies Clown ( Jim Ford Challenge Cup), Nick The Brief (
Irish Gold Cup The Irish Gold Cup ( Irish: Corn Óir na hÉireann) is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of ...
), Maid of Money (
Irish Grand National The Irish Grand National is a National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 3 miles and 5 furlongs (5, ...
), Yahoo (runner -up in the previous year and winner of the
Martell Cup The Alder Hey Aintree Bowl is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Great Britain which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Aintree over a distance of about 3 miles and 1 fur ...
) and Pegwell Bay ( Mackeson Gold Cup,
December Gold Cup The December Gold Cup (run since 2024 as the Nyetimber December Gold Cup) is a Premier Handicap National Hunt racing, National Hunt Steeplechase (horse racing), steeplechase in Great Britain which is op ...
). McCourt allowed the outsider to race at the back of the main group but moved steadily forward and was close behind the leaders Desert Orchid and Ten of Spades at the end of the first circuit at which point Pegwell Bay, Yahoo and Toby Tobias were also well-placed. At the third last he was in a close fourth behind Desert Orchid, Ten of Spades and Toby Tobias, with most of the other runners beginning to struggle, and moved up into second behind Toby Tobias and the tiring Desert Orchid at the next fence, where Ten of Spades fell. Norton's Coin moved up alongside Toby Tobias at the final fence and got the better of a prolonged struggle on the run-in to win by three quarters of a length, with four lengths back to Desert Orchid in third place. The winning time of 6 minutes, 30.9 seconds was the fastest in the race since 1953. The trophies were presented by the
Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also ...
, who told Griffiths "I think it's marvellous to think that you've only got two horses and you can win a race like this. To think that my husband and I had racehorses almost all our lives and we haven't won a race like this". Although the major
bookmakers A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays out gambling, bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds. History The first bookmaker, Harry Ogden, stood at Newmarket Racecourse, Newmark ...
took few substantial bets on the horse, many minor
betting shop In the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, a betting shop is a shop away from a racecourse ("off-course") where one can legally place bets in person with a licensed bookmaker. Most shops are part of chains, includi ...
s in Wales sustained heavy losses owing to strong support from local gamblers. Despite the financial damage he had caused, Norton's Coin was invited to "open" a betting shop in
Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...
in May.


1990/1991 National Hunt season

In the following season, Norton's Coin did not appear until January when he fell at the tenth fence in the Newton Chase at
Haydock Park Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Merseyside, North West England. The racecourse is set in an area of parkland bounded by the towns of Haydock to the west, Ashton-in-Makerfield to the north, Golborne to the east and Newton-le-Willows ...
and then finished third behind
Celtic Shot Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...
and Toby Tobias at Cheltenham. He failed to complete the course in his next two races, refusing at a fence in the Irish Gold Cup and falling at the third last when attempting to repeat his 1990 success in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Later in the spring of 1991, Norton's Coin showed improved form. On 4 April in the Martell Cup at Aintree he recovered from a bad mistake at the second last to take the lead final fence but was overtaken on the run-in and beaten one and a half lengths by the
Martin Pipe Martin Charles Pipe (born 29 May 1945), is an English former racehorse trainer credited with professionalising the British racehorse training industry, and as of 2021 the most successful trainer in British jump racing. The son of a West Coun ...
-trained Aquilifer. Two weeks later at Cheltenham he was matched against Pegwell Bay and the outstanding two-mile chaser
Waterloo Boy The Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company was the first company to manufacture and sell gasoline powered farm tractors. Based in Waterloo, Iowa, the company was created by John Froelich and a group of Iowa businessmen in 1893, and was originally named ...
as he contested the Silver Trophy Chase for a second time. McCourt settled the gelding in third place before taking the lead from Pegwell Bay at the last and held off the late challenge of Waterloo Boy to win by a head. On 4 May Norton's Coin made his first and last appearance over
hurdles Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today ...
when he finished second of the ten runners in the Grade 2 Staffordshire Hurdle, a length behind the winner Randolph Place. In June he made his only appearance in a
flat race National Hunt flat races, informally known as bumper races, are a type of flat racing but run under National Hunt racing rules in Britain and Ireland. National Hunt flat races were created on 15 July 1891 when a conference between the stewards of ...
when he was ridden by
Lester Piggott Lester Keith Piggott (5 November 1935 – 29 May 2022) was an English professional jockey and horse trainer. With 4,493 career flat racing wins in Britain, including a record nine Epsom Derby victories, he is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
in the
Queen Alexandra Stakes The Queen Alexandra Stakes is a flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot each June over a distance of 2 miles, 5 furlongs and 143 yards (4355 ...
at
Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, about 25 miles west of London. Ascot is used for thoroughbred horse racing, and it hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 races and three Gra ...
. Starting at odds of 10/1 he never looked likely to win and finished eighth behind Easy To Please.


Later career

Norton's Coin failed to win in his two remaining seasons. Griffiths believed that the horse's loss of form was due to a failed surgical procedure intended to correct a breathing problem. In the early part of the 1991/1992 National Hunt season he finished second to Katabatic at Chepstow and then produced his best effort of the season in the Peterborough Chase at
Huntingdon Racecourse Huntingdon Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Brampton near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on a Site of Special Scientific Interest of the original Brampton Racecourse. The most notable race held ...
finishing four lengths second to Sabin du Loir and a short head in front of Desert Orchid at level weights. In the King George VI Chase at Kempton he came home last of the five finishers behind The Fellow,
Docklands Express Dockland or Docklands are areas occupied by, or in the neighbourhood of maritime docks, sometimes described as a Sailortown (dockland). The term is more common in Britain and the British Commonwealth. Specifically the term may refer to: * Aarhus ...
,
Remittance Man In British history, a remittance man was an emigrant, often from Britain to a British colony, who was supported by regular payments from home on the expectation that he would stay away. In this sense, remittance means the opposite of today's mea ...
and Toby Tobias. After finishing fifth in the Agfa Diamond Chase he appeared for the third time in the Cheltenham Gold Cup but made no impact and was pulled up by McCourt after the third last. In his two remaining races that season Norton's Coin fell at the second fence in the Martell Cup and finished last of the four runners behind Katabatic, Waterloo Boy and Golden Freeze in the Silver Trophy. In his final season, Norton's Coin showed no worthwhile form in three races. He finished last at
Wincanton Wincanton ( or ) is a town and electoral ward in Somerset, southwest England. The town lies off the A303 road, a main route between London and South West England, and has some light industry. In the 2021 census the civil parish had a populatio ...
in October and last again at Chepstow in November. On his last appearance he was dropped in class for a minor handicap at Newbury in February but was already out of contention when he refused to jump the third last fence.


Retirement

After retiring from racing, Norton's Coin returned to Griffiths' farm in Wales and was never ridden again reportedly enjoying his life of leisure and remaining in excellent health until the age of 19. On the morning of 15 January Griffiths turned the horse out into the field and returned to find that the horse had collapsed and died, probably from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. Griffiths commented; "He was one of the family, but we can't do much about it. It's a pity we can't all go the same way instead of suffering goodness knows what".


Pedigree


References

{{Cheltenham Gold Cup winners 1981 racehorse births 2001 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in the United Kingdom Racehorses trained in the United Kingdom Thoroughbred family 3-o Cheltenham Gold Cup winners