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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Equestrian & animal sports > Horse racing > General
Drawing on the unique resources of the Racing Post, the tale of one
of the sport's most popular racehorses is told. Since almost
literally bursting onto the scene in the 2010 Champion Bumper at
Cheltenham, when an unconsidered 40/1 shot, he hasn't left the
Racing public's affections. Charismatic connections have helped
colour the story but it is the achievement on the racecourse, the
toughness in battle and the willingness to do it all over again,
year in year out, even after that crunching, "million pound fall"
in the 2016 Gold Cup. that has garnered this horse such a
remarkable following. With the blessing and help of the Bishops
(Cue Card's owners), plus the most heartfelt work of the Racing
Post's formidable writers through the years, a fitting tribute is
produced to a really special horse.
A failure at most things but not storytelling, this is Mick Channon
Jnr's finest book to date. This is also his first book. Framed
within the tribulations of a turbulent year in a racing yard, How's
Your Dad? examines the relationship between a father and son. Mick
Channon Snr, an arthritic workaholic and "grumpy old bastard",
played football at the highest level for over twenty years. Almost
uniquely, he followed up this sporting career with another, scaling
the heights of racing. Mick Channon Jnr had plenty to live up to
and despite enjoying the benefits of such a heritage he felt that
pressure, as well as the relative anonymity of always being 'Mick's
son'.
Ainslie's Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing is the classic
guide to everything you need to know to pick winners. Ainslie's
Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing covers recent technological
changes and the basics of breeding, conformation, calculating speed
and pace, the factors of condition, class, and weight, rating
jockeys, stables, and tracks, tote-board tips, and sixty tips for
profitable betting.
'The incredible story of the man who went from trying to win the
Grand National to playing a key role in co-ordinating the French
Resistance.' Daily Express An English racehorse trainer and horse
dealer's son, John Goldsmith was born and brought up in Paris and
spoke fluent French. In 1942 he was recruited in to the legendary
Special Operations Executive, or SOE, and dropped three times
behind enemy lines. In 1943 he organised the escape of a French air
force general across the Pyrenees but a few months later he was
caught by the Gestapo in Paris only to engineer his own getaway
from a locked third floor hotel room. By the end of the war he had
been awarded the DSO, MC, Croix de Guerre and Legion d'Honneur.
Resuming his peacetime occupation in 1946 Goldsmith was sent
numerous French racehorses to train. He found uncanny similarities
between the secret agent's milieu and the black market world of
Britain's post war racetracks and, in partnership with a high
stakes Mayfair bookie, he orchestrated some of the most audacious
betting coups in racing history.
In an era of spectacular thoroughbreds, Spectacular Bid was perhaps
the most exalted racehorse of them all. In 1979 he won the Kentucky
Derby and the Preakness Stakes—and transcended his sport on a run
of twelve consecutive stakes victories. But he lost his quest for
the Triple Crown with a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes
due to a series of bizarre events that have never before been
accurately reported. In The Fast Ride, Jack Gilden tells the story
of what really happened the day the Bid lost the biggest race of
his life. Along the way, he introduces the reader to a cast of
characters from the gilded age of late twentieth-century horse
racing, from Bid’s owners, the renowned Meyerhoff family, to
Grover “Buddy†Delp, the fast-talking trainer, to teenage
jockey Ronnie Franklin, whose meteoric rise to fame with
Spectacular Bid came at the cost of his innocence and well-being.
Also present are four of the era’s magnificent Latino riders,
Ãngel Cordero Jr., Jacinto Vásquez, Georgie Velásquez, and Ruben
Hernandez, who all felt the sting of rejection and bigotry during
their long careers even as they raised the level of competition to
a feverish pitch. The Fast Ride is the story of a great racehorse,
unfulfilled dreams, the exhilaration and steep price of striving at
all costs, and an American era in which getting everything you ever
wanted could be the most empty and unfulfilling sensation of all.
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Do you know what the oldest horse race in Britain is, where the
term 'gee-gee' comes from, or who is credited with bringing racing
to Ascot? Fact-packed but light-hearted in style, this reliable
reference book and quirky guide reveals little-known facts, details
of classic races, famous riders, racing records, amusing anecdotes
and criminal goings-on. A compendium of the fascinating, strange
and entertaining, The Little Book of Horse Racing can be dipped
into time and time again to reveal something new about this ancient
sport.
Is this the right book for me? Do you want to make smart choices
and win at the track? Whether you are a novice better or an
experienced punter, it has all the tips and advice to help you spot
a winner and enjoy this popular national pastime. This new edition
has been been brought right up-to-date with interactive features.
It explains not only such basics as the form and the nature of the
races, but will also explain in full where to bet, how to bet, and
how to do so successfully. It offers full and unique coverage of
the latest phenomena, such as internet betting, online betting
exchanges and spread betting. It also gives you vital tips in
addition to providing practical information on how to avoid credit
card fraud and how to make a successful selection. Back a Winning
Horse includes: Chapter 1: Horse racing Origins of horse racing
Thoroughbred horses Types of racing Grading of racing Handicaps
Conditional races Gambling on horse racing A day at the races
Owning a racehorse Racing around the world Chapter 2: Racecourse
betting On-course bookmakers Tote betting Pari-mutuel Bookmaking
Understanding the odds Factors affecting prices Placing a tote bet
Chapter 3: Betting shops Types of price Disadvantages of using a
betting shop Writing a bet Bookmakers' rules Types of bet Chapter
4: Remote betting Internet betting Types of internet betting Types
of bet How bets are matched Ordering odds How to bet Spread betting
Playing safe Telephone betting Chapter 5: Making your selection
Factors you can assess Factors you cannot assess Gathering
information Systems Effect of the draw at British and Irish
racecourses Chapter 6: Betting tips Be aware of rules Appreciate
your chances of winnin How bookmakers make a profit Keep records of
your gambling Set a budget Staying in control Take account of all
costs Be selective Take your time Maximize returns Be realistic How
bookmakers try to make you spend more money Ground Type of race
Betting on handicap races Number of runners Backing favourites Take
the best price Making the best bet Betting each way Bets to avoid
Placing large bets Big winners Steamers Collecting winnings Betting
exchanges Hedging Dutching Syndicate betting Chapter 7: Checking
results and calculating winnings Checking results Disputes with
bookmakers Calculating winnings Using a ready reckoner Learn
effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive
features: Not got much time? One, five and ten-minute introductions
to key principles to get you started. Author insights Lots of
instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based
on the author's many years of experience. Test yourself Tests in
the book and online to keep track of your progress. Extend your
knowledge Extra online articles to give you a richer understanding
of the subject. Five things to remember Quick refreshers to help
you remember the key facts. Try this Innovative exercises
illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.
Racing's love affair with Enable began on a thundery afternoon at
Epsom in June 2017 and continued for the remainder of an
unparalleled career. Her CV boasts 11 Group 1 wins across two
continents and four countries as she was tested against all-comers
of all ages at the likes of Ascot, Chantilly, Churchill Downs, the
Curragh, Longchamp, Sandown and York. These performances all bore
witness to her incredible attitude and will to win. It is a
testament to her connections that she was able to race for five
seasons and at the age of six to be still mixing it with the best.
Trainer John Gosden, jockey Frankie Dettori, groom Imran Shahwani
and the rest of the team at Clarehaven Stables are all deserving of
high praise, but most of all it is to owner-breeder Prince Khalid
Abdullah for giving us - the racing public - the chance to enjoy
her for so long. This look back at an extraordinary career has been
compiled using the back catalogue of the Racing Post with its
award-winning writers and photographers to retell the story of one
of the best - and most popular - racehorses of modern times.
Betting on Horse Racing For Dummies is packed with information that
teaches you the ins and outs of the racetrack. You'll learn how to
improve your odds, avoid common betting mistakes, and just plain
have fun at the races. This is a spectator's easy-to-understand
guide, so you'll have no trouble identifying the racing breeds with
their strengths and weaknesses, sizing up the jockey, understanding
the importance and role of a trainer, placing bets, managing money,
and beyond. Can't make it to the track? No worries! You'll get the
scoop on online betting with off track betting sites and apps. This
update covers the latest changes in the betting world and in the
racing world, so you'll know just what you're wagering. Learn about
the different types of horse racing Discover and identify the best
racing breeds Know your jockeys and trainers Make smart wagers and
manage your funds For beginning betters, Betting on Horse Racing
For Dummies is your ticket to well informed wagers and a winning
edge. Already know the ropes? You'll love the market trends and
insider tips you'll find inside.
A compilation of the toughest I Spy challenges, this deluxe book of picture riddles will put your child's detective skills to work. Incredible photographs and clever rhyming riddles combine to provide hours of mind-bending entertainment.
Favorite Features This ultimate collection will stimulate your child's visual discrimination, logic, and problem-solving skills.
Horse Racing: Gamble & Win is based on the author's 25-plus
years in gambling and betting on thoroughbred horse races. He has
bet on horses in the: U.S Canada Mexico England Germany The Middle
and Far East He has bet at tracks and race books, and has been
computer betting for the last dozen years. He has bet and won on
fast surfaces, on turf, and on wet or even muddy tracks. If you
want to bet to win, follow the system that has worked for over 25
years and you can bet like a pro too. It is easy to understand and
easy to follow. Betting on the horses becomes clear and easy when
you follow the system. It will not automatically show a profit on
any one specific day. It may even show red figures for a few days.
But over a minimum of say 35-40 races it will be in the black
profit column. And you will be able to gamble and win at horse
racing regularly. The author's records show a consistent long term
Return on Investment (ROI) of about 1.24. That means that every
dollar bet, or gambled, has returned a profit of 24%. Immediately.
In cash. Watching and wagering on beautiful thoroughbred horses is
one of the world's most popular sporting activities. By using this
Special Report, readers will be able to gamble and win. Chapters
include information on: Betting on the horses Gambling, winning,
and following the system How to pick races to bet What odds you
need to make a (good) bet How to bet to win, place, or exotic
Computer betting How much to bet: Using the effective Kelly
Criterion formula The types of races (maiden, claimer, handicap,
etc.) Importance of jockeys, trainers, weights, equipment changes
Forms to use for your horse racing notes Horse Racing: Gamble &
Win is a proven and profitable system for betting on the horses.
During two short seasons at the track, Ruffian was hailed as the greatest thoroughbred filly of all time. Unbeaten in her first ten starts, she shattered one record after another, dazzling crowds with both her beauty and her brilliant speed. Then tragedy struck on the afternoon of July 6, 1975. Ruffian broke down–on the lead–in the middle of a match race at Belmont Park. Later that night she had to be destroyed.
Ruffian: Burning from the Start is the story of this exceptional filly, a horse so dominating, so powerful, that writer Walter Farley once suggested she was more like the fictional legend, the Black Stallion, than any colt he had ever seen. Beginning with her earliest days in Kentucky, the book follows Ruffian at every stage of her career and through the agony of her final hours– venturing behind the scenes of the racing world and exploring the politics and personalities that came together to shape this extraordinary filly’s fate.
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Eclipse
(Paperback)
Nicholas Clee
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R483
R451
Discovery Miles 4 510
Save R32 (7%)
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Ships in 9 - 17 working days
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In the bestselling tradition of Seabiscuit, the extraordinary true
story of the world's most famous racehorse, and the rogue who owned
him.
Epsom Downs racetrack, 3rd May, 1769: a chestnut with a white blaze
scorches across the turf towards the finishing post, leaving his
rivals in the dust. Awestruck, his spectators know they are in the
presence of greatness.
This is a vivid portrait of high society and low life, of
passionate sport and ferocious gambling. It's the story of
Eclipse's owner, an adventurer who made his money through roguery
and gambling -- a rank outsider who went on to become a national
celebrity -- and of his horse, which went on to become the
undisputed champion of horse racing; founded dynasties that
dominated the bloodstock market in every country where
Thoroughbreds raced; and whose influence was such that ninety-five
percent of horses racing today are Eclipse's male-line descendants.
Punters have never had it so good. In a world of rapidly
progressive technology and ever-changing ways to bet, the days of
punting solely in the betting shop and on the racecourse are long
gone. Since the invention of Betfair in 2000 and the mass move
online, bookmakers have never been closer to their customers.
Punters are able to place bets at the click of a button - on the
move, from the pub and even in the office - and the gambling
industry has boomed because of it. Football has taken over as the
market leader but horseracing is still hugely popular, while odds
on other popular sports have opened them up to a fresh audience -
the punters. But in a world of flickering screens and rifling
numbers can come confusion. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned
bettor, the Racing Post Betting Guide provides a lighter look at
betting in the current climate, covering horseracing, football and
other major sports such as golf, cricket and tennis. The views of
our unparelled team of experts can help shape your thinking. Call
on the Racing Post's unrivalled expertise, soak up all the
knowledge you can and become a better bettor. Among the chapters to
consider are: Ten top tips by Pricewise supremo Tom Segal-Studying
the form by tipping judge Paul Kealy-Football accas and in-play by
Mark Langdon-Punting at the big festivals by David Jennings-Golf
betting and the Majors by Steve Palmer-Betting on the favourites by
Richard Birch-Tackling the handicaps by Keith Melrose. Other forms
of betting covered are: Betting exchanges, pool betting, multiple
bets, ante-post betting, pedigree punting plus betting on NFL,
darts, rugby, UFC and cycling plus more!
"Every horse story is a love story," writes Jane Smiley, who has
loved horses for most of her life and owned and bred them for a
good part of it. To love something is to observe it with more than
usual attention, and that is precisely what Smiley does in this
irresistibly smart, witty, and engaging chronicle of her obsession.
In particular she follows a sexy filly named Waterwheel and a grey
named Wowie (he "tells" a horse communicator that he wants it
changed from Hornblower) as they begin careers at the racetrack.
Filled with humor and suspense, and with discourses on equine
intelligence, affection, and character, A Year at the Races is a
winner.
Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:
Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.
Author Laura Hillenbrand brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story, one that proves life is a horse race.
From the Hardcover edition.
How well do you know your racing? You follow the form, share in the
agony of defeat and the elation of success, but how much of that
information do you remember? The Racing Post Quiz Book will provide
hours of entertainment and challenge horse racing know-it-alls to
prove themselves. Categories range from where this uniquely
historic sport started right up to the modern day, taking in the
best horses, most successful trainers, the heroic jockeys and many
more besides. With 1,000 questions, many fiendish, some
infuriating, this is the ultimate test for any racing fan.
Horse racing may be famously known as the 'sport of kings' but, in
the pursuit of prize money and getting one over the bookies, it
also has attained a notoriety for some underhand, corrupt and
downright illegal practices. Horse racing in Wales is not exempt
from these dodgy dealings and on many occasions has led the way in
it's ingenuity to devise jaw-dropping cons and cunning deceptions.
In The Scams, Scandals and Gambles of Horseracing in Wales, Brian
Lee, the veteran and highly regarded Welsh racing correspondent
has, for the first time, compiled a comprehensive collection of
true stories that reveals Welsh racing's most notorious crooks,
loveable rouges and most infamous scams, including: The Oyster Maid
affair, when a great gambling coup engineered at Tenby in 1927
nearly put paid to horse racing in Wales and was said by the Queen
Mother's jockey, Dick Francis, to have been "the most bitterly
resented betting coup National Hunt racing has ever known". The
astounding story of Am I Blue's when, in 2010, a four-year-old
filly, owned and trained by Aberkenfig's Delyth Thomas, romped home
at Hereford after being backed from 25-1 to 5-1, despite having
woeful form.As one reporter put it: 'There was outrage in some
quarters and amusement in others. ' The elaborate switching of
horses and the cutting of the telegraph wires at Bath races in 1953
which saw well-know Cardiff bookie Gomer Charles jailed for 2 years
for fraud after his syndicate place GBP100k worth of bets on a
'ringer' racehorse that won at 20-1. The Scandals and Gambles of
Horseracing in Wales includes stories both from racing 'under
rules' but also from point-to-point, known as racing
'between-the-flags', as well as flapping (unlicensed racing). The
stories in this enthralling book, in which the reader will meet
many of the rogues of the turf, are informative as well as
fascinating and will appeal to not only horse racing fans but also
readers of true crime.
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