Coulton set to carry top weight

Coulton is set to carry top weight of 12st in the Tripleprint Gold Cup at Cheltenham on Saturday, for which 10 horses were confirmed at yesterday's five-day stage. Coulton's presence in the two miles five furlong event will stop the weights going up which would suit Simply Dashing, next in the handicap with 11st 5lb.

However, Tim Easterby's impressive Ascot winner also holds an engagement in the Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock and connections have yet to finalise plans.

Bells Life, winner of last season's John Hughes Trophy at Aintree, reappears in the £60,000-added contest, having missed his intended comeback at Chepstow last Saturday.

Challenger du Luc will renew rivalry with his Murphy's Gold Cup conqueror Senor El Betrutti on 3lb better terms for the threelength defeat Martin Pipe's charge received from the grey.

Fine Thyme, runner-up to Simply Dashing in the First National Bank Gold Cup, is also in the Cheltenham feature but is currently 4lb out of the handicap.

David Nicholson has two entries in the race, Kadi (10st 1lb) and Destin d'Estruval (9st 13lb), with the first named requiring soft ground.

David Gandolfo will probably run his Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup fifth Trying Again.

Useful Scottish-trained chaser Major Bell makes up the numbers and will be going to Cheltenham on the back of a pipe-opener in a handicap hurdle at Haydock last month.

Luso, the mount of Michael Kinane, heads a strong European challenge for the Group Two Hong Kong International Vase, over a mile and a half, on Sunday.

Joining Clive Brittain's much-travelled campaigner will be Paul Cole's Posidonas (Richard Quinn), and the German pair, Oxalagu (Andrasch Starke) and Protektor (Terence Hellier).

Former footballer Mick Quinn hit the woodwork when he began his training career at Southwell yesterday afternoon, when Katie's Cracker went down by half a length in a driving finish.

And it was old footballing buddies Mick Channon and Kevin Keegan who foiled hopes of a dream start as Cutting Anshake held on to take the Antony and Cleopatra Selling Stakes from the Quinn runner.

"The guv'nor has turned me over," said Quinn, referring to his two-year spell as assistant trainer to Channon before recently gaining his own licence."