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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Equestrian & animal sports > Horse racing > General
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Frankie
(Hardcover)
Brough Scott
1
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R621
R563
Discovery Miles 5 630
Save R58 (9%)
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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When Frankie Dettori stormed to victory on Golden Horn in the 2015
Derby, the effervescent Italian jockey was writing yet another
extraordinary chapter in a remarkable sporting story. This tribute
to hugely popular sportsman draws on the unique resources of the
Racing Post to chronicle the Dettori career as never before. The
son of a Milanese Classic-winning jockey has been Champion jockey
on three occasions and has ridden such equine superstars as Dubai
Millennium, Lochsong, Lammtarra, Daylami and his first Derby winner
Authorized. He made worldwide headlines when winning every contest
on a seven-race card in September 1996, which made him a household
name. The Dettori story has also had its darker side: surviving a
plane crash in 2000 in which the pilot was killed; a six-month
suspension in December 2012 for contravening racing's drugs rules;
losing the lucrative job as first jockey to Sheikh Mohammed's
Godolphin operation. But Frankie has always bounced back, and his
next flying dismount is never far away.
The son of a poor butcher, John Gully rose to the height of
Victorian respectability, whose death in ripe old age was mourned
by all classes from paupers to princes. It's the story of an
extraordinarily varied life - a bare knuckle fighter and champion
of England, a publican, a hugely successful gambler, bookmaker,
racehorse and colliery owner, and finally a Member of Parliament.
Set at a time when fortunes were won and lost on the turn of a
dice, Gully saw the greed and corruption, the rogues and rascals.
Remarkable sporting characters of the age feature, such as William
Crockford, the Betting Shark; the chivalrous prize fighter Henry
Pearce; the mighty Tom Cribb, bare knuckle champion of the world;
and Colonel Mellish, prolific gambler and finest of the
Corinthians. Enemies saw Gully as a cunning man, a schemer who
corrupted the betting world. To others he was a man with impeccable
judgement and integrity, to whom royalty would trust their
fortunes. The Stakes Were High is the fascinating story of his
life.
In The Ghost Horse, Joe Layden tells the inspiring true tale of a
one-eyed, club-footed thoroughbred racehorse and a journeyman
trainer, Tim Snyder, who scraped together every penny he had to
purchase the broken and unwanted filly. Snyder helped the horse
overcome its deficiencies, eventually naming her in part after his
deceased wife, Lisa, the great and only love of his life - a bright
and sweet-tempered woman whose gentle demeanour seemed eerily
reflected in the horse. The trainer (and now owner) was by nature a
crusty and combative sort, the yin to his wife's yang, a racetrack
lifer not easily moved by new-age mysticism or sentiment. And yet
in those final days back in 2003, when Lisa Snyder lay in bed, her
body ravaged by cancer, she reassured her family with a weak smile.
"It's okay," she'd say. "I'll see you again. I'm coming back as a
horse." Tim Snyder did not then believe in reincarnation. But he
acknowledged the strangeness of this journey, the series of
coincidences that brought them together, and the undeniable
similarities between the horse and his late wife. And so did those
who knew the couple well, and who could now only marvel at the
story of the filly, Lisa's Booby Trap, and the down-on-his-luck
trainer who apparently had been given a new lease on life. The
Ghost Horse is a powerful horseracing story of underdogs and second
chances.
Master storyteller Ralph Moody tells the thrilling story of a
plucky horse who refused to quit, a down-on-his-luck jockey who
didn't let horrendous accidents keep him out of the saddle, and a
taciturn trainer who brought out the best in both. During the Great
Depression, Seabiscuit captured the hearts of Americans from the
streets to the White House, winning more money than any horse at
that time and shattering speed records across the country. In this
real-life story Moody captures the hoof-pounding excitement of the
explosive early races to an unforgettable showdown with the feared
Triple Crown winner War Admiral. Moving and inspirational, Come on
Seabiscuit! is a reminder of the qualities that make a real
American champion. Ralph Moody is best known for his eight Little
Britches books, which have delighted generations of readers and are
all available in Bison Books editions. Ralph Moody captured the
hearts of young readers everywhere with his beloved Little Britches
saga. In this Bison Books edition of his 1963 classic, Moody brings
to life the story of a knobby-kneed little colt called Seabiscuit,
who against all odds became one of the most celebrated racehorses
of all time. Although Seabiscuit was the grandson of the legendary
Man O' War, he was neither handsome nor graceful. His head was too
big, his legs too short, and his gallop was awkward. His owners
gave up on Seabiscuit when he was two, raced him too heavily, and
tried unsuccessfully to sell him. It took the keen eyes of trainer
Tom Smith to recognize the heart, courage, and gallant
determination of Seabiscuit, the qualities of a truly great horse.
Smith's unfailing patience and astute treatments, the love and
skill of jockey Red Pollard, and the continued support of owner
Charles Howard forged Seabiscuit into a champion. Purchase the
audio edition.
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