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I just wanted to list the authors that I know of and see if anybody knows of any others.
Dick Francis
Felix Francis
John Francome
Mark Daniel
Brian O’Connor
Lisa Oliver
Ben Osborne
Jenny Pitman
Richard Pitman
Jamie Reid
Graeme Roe
Lyndon Stacey
Joe McNally – I cannot forget him
A.P.McCoy – Only found out the other week that he has written 2 booksArthur Conan Doyle.
In ‘The Adventure of Silver Blaze’, the author addresses the thorny subject of skullduggery in the Sport of Kings. Regrettably, he failed to consult the rules of racing in so doing.
Silver Blaze is 3/1 favourite for the Wessex Plate before he goes missing, at which point his price drifts to 15/1 on the general expectation that he won’t start. Sherlock Holmes discovers the horse (with his white bits dyed brown) at the stables of Silas Brown, trainer of the second favourite Desborough. Brown is hiding Silver Blaze to prevent him running in the Plate thereby giving his own horse a much better chance of winning. Holmes then persuades Brown to keep Silver Blaze under wraps at his yard until raceday, and to produce him for the start of the race. In the minutes before the off Silver Blaze, still disguised as all-brown, is backed down from 15/1 to 5/4 and wins by 6 lengths from Desborough.
Holmes is an accessory after the fact to the crime of horse theft. He’s also guilty of concealing a horse with a view to manipulating its price in the betting market. On the balance of probabilities, although the author doesn’t tell us, Sherlock took 15/1 about a missing horse which he knew would start favourite. He’s been known to have a bet because he had one in the race following the Plate. Somebody should take a look at his betting accounts.
Furthermore the rules of racing do not permit a horse to run against description i.e. if it has a silver blaze it must run with one. What the Winchester stewards were doing allowing this to happen one can only wonder. Maybe they were all on at 15s. Anyway they should resign in shame, and Holmes must be warned off for life and never allowed to investigate a case involving racehorses again, after he comes out of prison.
Found three more whose books I have not read yet.
Charlie de Luca
Beth Smart
Richard LawsWalter Farley
Marguerite Henry
C.W. Anderson
Joanna Campbell
Bestselling children’s books writers and illustrators responsible for getting many young girls and boys interested in horses and horse racing over the past half-century.Also Jaimy Gordon’s novel Lord of Misrule is a must-read.
John Welcome has written a number of racing books, some in conjunction with Dick Francis and some novels of his own. I have only read one of them – Grand National. It was published in 1976. I enjoyed it and it is one of the few novels I have read more than once. I see that there is one copy available on Amazon.
I loved Summer Pudding by Andrew Simpson and Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley, but was disappointed to be told [by someone on here I think] that she treated [as an owner] her own horses quite badly. I must reread it, though. And, I know it’s not fiction but I have to mention Seabiscuit because, not only is it one of the best racing books ever written but one of the best books ever written. [must re read that, too]. Andrew Simpson has just bought out another book called ‘Between the Stirrup and the Ground’.
Remiss of you all not to have mentioned Enid Bagnold, the author of National Velvet. Not read it myself but the film was jolly good: Elizabeth Taylor’s eyes, Angela Lansbury’s figure and Mickey Rooney’s accent
Another book I must re read. IMO not the childrens book that everyone thinks it is. But a book about what happens to an ordinary person when they suddenly become ‘a celeb’. As relevant now as it was then. And the pictures are delightful.
Chestnut includes Richard Laws in his list of three.
I have Gimcrack by R. Laws but it is said there is another The Syndicate Manager.
I remain unsure if I enjoyed Gimcrack or not. It has the feel of a self published but says it is published by Five Furlongs.
Overall I would say it was amateurish but as a Christmas freebie it then becomes ok but I am sure Enid Blyton would have done better.
Billy's Outback Shack
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