Following in the tradition of the highly acclaimed 'Favourite Racehorses' published in 1997, Modern Greats brings the story of racing in the Timeform era right up to date. Modern Greats relives the memories of Flat superstars such as Dubai Millennium, Sea The Stars and Black Caviar, as well as jumps heroes like Kauto Star, Best Mate and Moscow Flyer, plus many, many more. Topics covered include the ‘Globetrotters’ on the Flat, looking at the rapid evolution and increasing importance of the international scene, while the jumps has a dedicated Grand National section featuring some of the more memorable winners and the stories that surrounded them.
Twenty-five years after his racetrack classic Laughing in the Hills, Bill Barich tells the story of how he fell in love and found a new life in Dublin, where he was soon caught up in the Irish obsession with horses and luck. Barich travels throughout his adopted country and meets the leading trainers and jockeys, the beleaguered bookies who work rain or shine, and a host of passionate, like-minded fans—from Father Sean Breen, the “Racing Priest,” to T. P. Reilly, whose peculiar betting system turns on a horse’s looks. Witty, philosophical, and vividly written, A Fine Place to Daydream is a paean to the real Ireland, a moving tale of a surprise romance, and a thrilling account of a hugely exciting season at the track. “Captivating. . . . Mr. Barich recaptures much of the feel and compass of his first narrative of the equine life, once again weaving a broad tartan from scores of interviews with inhabitants of every corner of the horseracing industry.” —The Wall Street Journal Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
The recent retirement of Mick Kinane, doyen of flat racing jockeys whose swansong was his 2009 Classic victories on the great Sea the Stars, reminded us once again how many of the greatest jockeys in racing, over jumps as well as on the flat, hail from Ireland. Brian O’Connor is the experienced racing correspondent of the Irish Times, and his survey of the twelve finest jockeys currently riding in Ireland (six on the flat, six National Hunt) was acclaimed in hardback by both the racing press and the Irish media. He interviewed most of the featured jockeys specially for the book, and provides a truly intimate insight into what has made them great race riders, and what inspires their continuing hunger to succeed at the very top. The full list of jockeys covered is: On the Flat: Michael Kinane, John Murtagh, Jamie Spencer, Kieren Fallon, Pat Smullen and Kevin Manning. Over Jumps: Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, Tony McCoy, Paul Carberry, Timmy Murphy and Nina Carberry.
Winners: The Horses, The Memories; The Defining Moments documents a host of favourite memories from the world's foremost racing minds. In this collection of interviews, Hugh Cahill uncovers the cherished memories of some of the most prominent figures in Irish horse-racing as they remember eighty of the horses that have featured most significantly in their lives. All the greats are here - Moscow Flyer, Arkle, Synchronised, Flyingbolt, Frankel, Hurricane Fly, Dawn Run, Bobbyjo, Istabraq, Brave Inca, Papillon, Beef or Salmon and Sea the Stars. These are the horses that have shaped horse-racing over the past fifty years and captured hearts around the globe. Beautifully illustrated, Winners: The Horses, the Memories, the Defining Moments includes contributions from Ruby Walsh, A.P. McCoy, J.P. McManus, Willie Mullins, Jessica Harrington, Davy Russell, Paul Carberry and many more. A compelling and heartfelt exploration of what makes these incredible animals so special to the people who knew them best, Winners is a volume to be treasured and an essential book for horse-racing fans everywhere. *Please note that this is an illustrated book and therefore is best viewed on optimal devices*
We Irish love our sport and we also love a flutter. We all want to ‘Beat the Bookies’, to experience the joy of winning money and having our judgement vindicated. John Duggan, who has been putting his neck on the line every week for eight years by tipping on national radio, guides you through the big events of the sporting calendar. From Cheltenham to the Champions League, from Augusta to the All Ireland Finals, John has experienced all the highs and lows of sports betting. There have been wins and losses, and now there are reasons. Beat the Bookies opens the door to the rewards and pitfalls of this very Irish pastime. This book tells you what you need to know to maximise profits and beat the bookies at their own game!
SHORTLISTED FOR BEST SPORTS WRITING AT THE 2024 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS In parks, on downlands and heaths, by motorways, overlooking firths: the racecourses of Britain and Ireland are as various as the people you meet there. Some - Newmarket, Epsom, the Curragh - are rich in history, and among the most celebrated sporting venues in the world; others - Fakenham, Bangor-on-Dee, Perth - offer more modest but no less enjoyable spectacles. Journeying round these courses, Nicholas Clee meets the people who bring them to life: from those in the spotlight, including a Grand National-winning jockey, Derby-winning owner and top TV commentator; to many others with key roles in the sport - bookmakers, form experts, racecourse managers and more. From them, he learns about the bravery, dedication, skill and expertise that make racing one of our most popular spectator sports. Whether basking in sunshine or sheltering from a hurricane, sampling a variety of pies or recoiling from the world's worst curry, losing his money with the bookies or at the Tote windows, Clee soaks up the atmosphere, delves into racing business, and marvels at the uniqueness of each course and its people. Written with a keen eye, gentle humour and a deep love for the sport, Courses for Horses take us behind the scenes at that grand outing: a day at the races.
Did You Know? Kildare's highest point is Cupidstown Hill near Kilteel. St Brigid, the patroness of Ireland, was buried in Kildare. When built, the magnificent Castletown House near Celbridge was the largest private residence in Ireland. The origins of Guinness can actually be traced to County Kildare, not Dublin. The Little Book of Kildare is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this historic county. Here you will find out about Kildare's great houses and historic towns, its monastic heritage, its literary traditions and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Kildare and its and colourful vibrant past. A reliable reference and a quirky guide, this book can be dipped into time and again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this ancient country.
Robin Oakley brings alive the colourful world of those who ride and train jumping horses. With elegant production and gripping images, Sixty Years of Jump Racing chronicles the social and economic changes which have brought the sport's ups and downs-like the development of sponsorships and syndicate ownership, the near loss of the Grand National, the growing domination of the Cheltenham Festival and the growth of all-weather racing to meet the bookies' demands for betting shop fodder. Pace and colour is provided by stories of the horses who have been taken to the heart of racing crowds, like the Irish-trained hurdler Istabraq and Best Mate, the three-times winner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup for England. Famous rivalries and memorable races are re-lived and key victories revisited in portraits of and interviews with the owners, jockeys and trainers who have dominated the sport. The emphasis will be largely on the past fifty years-from Arkle to Tony McCoy-but a significant introduction by Edward Gillespie encapsulates the past history of what was previously known as 'National Hunt Racing' and sets the stories in context.
The Cheltenham Festival is nowadays the biggest event in the racing year – in visitor numbers eclipsing Royal Ascot, the Grand National or the Derby. In 2011 it is a hundred years since the 1911 running of the National Hunt Chase marked the birth of the Festival, providing the perfect occasion for Robin Oakley's new history. This is a work of both history and celebration – telling the story of how three days of jump racing beneath Cleeve Hill in Cheltenham became a vast sporting event attracting an average of 50,000 spectators per day. Before the War it saw legendary horses like Golden Miller; after the War the Irish invasion began – both horses and spectators; in the Sixties, Arkle, the greatest jumps horse of all time duelling with Mill House in the Gold Cup. In recent years there have been Cheltenham favourites like Desert Orchid, winning a gruelling Gold Cup in the mud, Dawn Run, Best Mate (2 Gold Cups), hurdlers like Istabraq and Persian War, and the grey hero One Man. But also it is a story of the craic and the characters, like the Irishman who won enough on Istabraq to pay off his mortgage, then lost it again on the Champion Chase, and reflected, "Ach, it was only a small house anyway…" This is a book for both the committed Festival-goer, Guinness in hand, and every armchair racing fan.
This collection of real-life racing stories is told through the eyes of mug punter David Atkinson as he embarks on a roller-coaster journey of discovery to the heart, soul and nether regions of horse racing. Along the way there is time to revel in the maelstrom of meetings at Cheltenham, Ascot and.....Towcester; and by turns be intoxicated by thrilling winners, spellbound by staying chasers and lubricated by real ale. The true spirit of racing is captured here in healthy dollops: sublime talent, Corinthian competition and touching naivety, as well as good humour, bad punting and worse hangovers all wrapped up in a parcel of rich history and friendship.
