Racing: Burden of expectation is no barrier to Coulton

COULTON, one of last season's leading hurdlers, made a successful debut over fences at Wetherby yesterday, despite the burden of his trainer's prediction that he will be the next Desert Orchid.

Sent off at 4-7 to beat three rivals, Mick Easterby's gelding quickly pulled his way into the lead and was never headed, despite a few jumps which betrayed his inexperience.

'He was a wee bit novicey, but what I liked was his ability to pop his fences and put in a short one now and again,' his jockey, Lorcan Wyer, said. 'This fellow has got such a high cruising speed, you just don't realise how quickly you are travelling.

'Every jockey who has ever ridden him has remarked that he's one of the best young horses they've sat on, and I'm not going to contradict them.'

Coulton's success broke the monopoly of Mary Reveley and Peter Niven, who completed a treble in the first three races on the card. It was only a brief interruption, though, as the trainer and jockey made it a four-timer from four runners when Mr Boston took the next.