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Product Description
Product Description
There is something for every follower of the turf in "The Horse Racing Miscellany". The history of horse racing dates back to the eighteenth century and the major races remain an integral part of the British and Irish sporting calendar. Within these pages, the reader will learn hundreds of fascinating facts about both flat racing and steeple-chasing, covering a range of topics from horses, jockeys, owners and trainers to racetracks and betting coups. "The Horse Racing Miscellany" contains biographies of racing personalities - both human and equine, lists of winners, famous quotations, racing records and much more. It will bring hours of reading pleasure to all lovers of the "Sport of Kings."
About the Author
John White is a lifelong sports fanatic who has dedicated his spare time, and his computer, to compiling an impressively comprehensive database of sporting facts and figures. He is the author of all eleven of the Carlton Sports Miscellanies. He lives in Co. Down, Northern Ireland.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This little book is full of facts & figures about horse racing that you can never remember, coupled with humourous & interesting stories & quotes from the people in the world of horse racing. Really easy to read & if you like horse racing the ideal gift.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Presented in what appears to be a deliberately random order, this book has a lot of trivia interspersed with lists of racecourses (those open for business and those closed in the 20th century) and big race winners, the latter beginning in 1946, and they include the Melbourne Cup and the Kentucky Derby among others. The St Leger list includes Brian Boru, who I now know to have been named after one of my ancestors. The book lists Great Leighs as one of those racecourses open for business, so that tells you within a few months when the book went to press.
I like the idea behind the book, but I would have preferred it to be organized in a logical manner. Even though there is an index, this won't always help, such as (for example) if you want to read about the ten racing scandals that are each described briefly. They are scattered through the book. Of course, if you know the name of the horses, you can look them up in the index. I confess that I'd forgotten about In the Money being substituted for a better horse (Cobbler's March) resulting in the trainer being jailed, but some of the others come round often enough for them to stick in my mind.
Many of the trivia items are between one and three sentences long, but there are longer pieces, particularly on famous horses. These include Phar Lap, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Citation as well as British and Irish horses including Foinavon as well as champions such as Mill Reef, Nijinsky and Arkle. People featured in this way include Vincent O'Brien Tony McCoy, the Duke of Albuquerque and Fred Archer.
As you will realize from the examples I've given, the book mixes the obvious with plenty of surprises. The random organization of the book is matched by the random nature of the author's choices, and that offsets any disappointment about the organization. I wouldn't have expected to be able to remind myself of the Duke of Albuquerque in a book like this, especially as more comprehensive books tend to ignore him .He is listed in the index under A, not D. What matters is that he is featured,
This book would make a great stocking filler for any racing fan at Christmas, but you don't need to wait till Christmas to acquire it as it's great all year round.
I like the idea behind the book, but I would have preferred it to be organized in a logical manner. Even though there is an index, this won't always help, such as (for example) if you want to read about the ten racing scandals that are each described briefly. They are scattered through the book. Of course, if you know the name of the horses, you can look them up in the index. I confess that I'd forgotten about In the Money being substituted for a better horse (Cobbler's March) resulting in the trainer being jailed, but some of the others come round often enough for them to stick in my mind.
Many of the trivia items are between one and three sentences long, but there are longer pieces, particularly on famous horses. These include Phar Lap, Seabiscuit, Secretariat and Citation as well as British and Irish horses including Foinavon as well as champions such as Mill Reef, Nijinsky and Arkle. People featured in this way include Vincent O'Brien Tony McCoy, the Duke of Albuquerque and Fred Archer.
As you will realize from the examples I've given, the book mixes the obvious with plenty of surprises. The random organization of the book is matched by the random nature of the author's choices, and that offsets any disappointment about the organization. I wouldn't have expected to be able to remind myself of the Duke of Albuquerque in a book like this, especially as more comprehensive books tend to ignore him .He is listed in the index under A, not D. What matters is that he is featured,
This book would make a great stocking filler for any racing fan at Christmas, but you don't need to wait till Christmas to acquire it as it's great all year round.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am a horse rider but don't compete or bet on the horses. I bought this to get some more knowledge of the horse racing world and it certainly is full of useful facts and figures. It has filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge and understanding of racing which is exactly what I wanted.
I would say its a bedside or may be a bathroom book that is interesting to dip in and out of when you have a 10 minutes to spare. Recommended.
I would say its a bedside or may be a bathroom book that is interesting to dip in and out of when you have a 10 minutes to spare. Recommended.
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