[2] 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 Timeform), who recorded the better of his two wins in a handicap race at Sandown Park Racecourse in 1973.
[3] 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.
[5] At the time of Norton's Coin's conception, both his parents were owned by Sirrell Griffiths, a dairy farmer who kept a few horses at Rwyth Farm near the village of Nantgaredig in Carmarthenshire.
Norton's Coin's form began to improve in spring and he recorded his first success when ridden by Richard Dunwoody to a ten-length win at Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse on 8 March.
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.
[10] 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 over three miles at Kempton Park Racecourse.
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, he reverted to his original plan and allowed him to take his chance in the championship race.
[2] Desert Orchid was made the 10/11 favourite ahead of Bonanza Boy (winner of the Racing Post Chase and Welsh National) and the Jenny Pitman-trained Toby Tobias.
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.
[14] 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 and then finished third behind Celtic Shot and Toby Tobias at Cheltenham.
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-trained Aquilifer.
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.
[18] 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[19] until the age of 19.