A sport based on one animal sitting on top of another and trying (usually) to be the first pair to reach a wooden stick is a curiosity in itself. So it's no surprise that horseracing is full of curiosities. The curiosities in this collection have been chosen to arouse interest. They are stories of those curious creatures people, and of horses. The curiosities are arranged in themes so that the reader can dip in and out, as the mood takes them. The collection should leave them with a benevolent view of an intriguing sport, if they didn't already have one. Owners, jockeys, the horses, racecourses, officials, prizes, trainers and staff, racing journalists, betting, bookmakers, punters, skulduggery one of Britain's best loved racing journalists David Ashforth has found the stories to capture the readers attention on all these topics and more. AUTHOR: David Ashforth was twice voted Horserace Writer of the Year, he worked for The Sporting Life and Racing Post and, in the USA, was a columnist for the Racing Times and Daily Racing Form. He is also a talented author having written Racing Crazy and The Bluffers Guide to Horseracing. 50 colour, 25 b/w illustrations
Table of Contents:
RACECARD
Before You Begin 7
Chapter 1 Owners 9-22
In which Lord Lade has his teeth filed, Joe thrives on mincemeat, Prince Khalid chooses his curtains, the Duke of Devonshire promises straw and Death stretches out its hand.
Chapter 2 Jockeys 23-39
In which Liam bares his teeth, Lester licks ice cream and prefers a cheque, Frank goes legless, Seb takes his boots off, Christopher does what he shouldn’t, Frankie chews gum and Fred’s life ends sadly.
Chapter 3 Horses I Pre-Mortem 40-55
In which gypsies sell a bargain, a shoe goes missing, Kazuhiro Kamiya wields a magnifying glass, In The Money’s hairs are put in a black box, Mill Reef overcomes a bag of marbles and horses have their vision adjusted.
Chapter 4 Horses II Post-Mortem 56-68
In which Eclipse has seven feet, St Simon sheds his skin, Arkle is worshipped and Phar Lap lives again.
Chapter 5 Art, Literature, Cinema And Photography I 69-84
In which Charles Dickens gets in a dreadful state, Dr Hugo Z Hackenbush’s watch stops, Walter Matthau does his best, George casts a benevolent eye, Fred Astaire wins two dollars, and Lord Saye and Sele goes bad.
Chapter 6 Art, Literature, Cinema And Photography II 85-99
In which Eadweard commits murder, Ernest takes a lobster to Australia, Walter Harding hates librarians, and the King of Clubs joins the board.
Chapter 7 From Start To Finish 100-114
In which Captain Brown grapples with knicker elastic, an umbrella is found guilty of race-fixing, Jane feels ghastly, jockeys get their sums wrong, metres almost arrive and Kodiac loses weight.
Chapter 8 Racecourses and Racing I 115-126
In which a little bit of Gertrude is forever America, Linda poses on PEN15, Colin goes Full Circle, Ludlow’s lavatories excel, people go mad at Killarney and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra strikes up.
Chapter 9 Racecourses And Racing II 127-138
In which John draws some maps, Harry hands Chris an envelope, Camilla meets her husband, Emily becomes a martyr and racing goes all-weather.
Chapter 10 Officialdom 139-150
In which Admiral Rous condemns twaddle, a spade is called something else, Alec can’t tell the time and it’s time for chips.
Chapter 11 Prizes 151-161
In which the Countess graces the whip, the Ascot Gold Cup goes overboard, sausages are prized and Gareth opens a box.
Chatper 12 Trainers And Staff 162-173
In which Alan pays his bills, Henry smells the roses, Jack shows off his shirt, Harry shakes his rattle and Mars bars are De Rigueur.
Chapter 13 Journalists, Presenters And Newspapers 174-182
In which Judge Lewzey intervenes, a hat is doffed and the Queen Mother reveals her breakfast reading.
Chapter 14 Tipping, Information And Betting 183-213
In which Groucho Marx meets Prince Monolulu, Elis makes mischief, Lord George wins a lot of money, Phil loses his teeth, Timeform squiggles, Agnes does her ironing, Sam signs a cheque, the Butterfly flies off, Benny O’Hanlon makes a phone call and James loses his bottom.
Chapter 15 Bookmakers, Punters And Betting Shops 214-229
In which the 1986 Revolution arrives, pens are pocketed, Gary wishes he was in Worcester, Mr Saucy Squirrel meets a minister and Churchill views stunted tyrants.
Chapter 16 Skulduggery 230-247
In which Peter behaves badly, Ile De Chypre gets a hornet in his ear, Emrys Bloomfield climbs a pole and Darby becomes the Emperor.
After You Finish 248
Acknowledgements 249
About the Author :
David Ashforth was twice voted Horserace Writer of the Year, he worked for The Sporting Life and Racing Post and, in the USA, was a columnist for the Racing Times and Daily Racing Form. He is also a talented author having written Racing Crazy and The Bluffers Guide to Horseracing.
Review :
‘Curiosities’, to shorten the title, is just a lovely book to handle, let alone read. I like chapter headings that provoke interest yet gives little away and Mr.Ashforth is a master of the craft. Three such examples to whet the appetite are: ‘Prince Khalid Chooses His Curtains’. ‘Frank Goes Legless’. ‘Eclipse Has Seven Feet’. It all makes perfect sense once read. The reader will always learn something new, fascinating or downright unnecessary by reading a David Ashforth book.
‘Immensely readable, entertaining and informative from beginning to end.’
‘For my money, no one has ever been better at expressing the punter's love of racing that survives repeated and brutal misfortune, nor at finding and describing some of its odder characters. He is clear-eyed about the game, seeing its faults alongside its qualities; he can do an in-depth investigation or a jocular piece that makes you laugh… that's why Ashforth's Curiosities of Horseracing is a must-read for me and doubtless for many of you who share my enthusiasm for its author… There's a cast of thousands in Ashforth's 247 pages, including Sid James, Charles Dickens and Joe 'Mincemeat' Griffin, who features on the cover. It'll keep you in bedside reading for a very long time, I reckon.’
One of Britain’s best-loved racing journalists, David Ashforth has found the stories to capture the readers’ attention on all these topics and more. This book is the perfect gift for horseracing fans.
If the tales are well chosen, then the writing of them is something one has come to expect from the irreverent wordsmith. It’s no surprise that what Ashforth treats us to is less of a history lesson and more of a celebration of the ways in which our sport embraces, nurtures and even helps to create a world that’s as odd as it is inspiring.
There are plenty witty racing journalists but not many of them can translate that wit to the written word in an engagingly warm manner in quite the way Ashforth has consistently done throughout his career.
Ashforth's Curiosities of Horseracing by David Ashforth (£20 hardback) reveals a sport full of quirks and curiosities. This fascinating and fun collection of tales will leave you with an enriched view of a fascinating sport.
Ashforth’s account is a refreshing reminder of all the amusing, interesting and colourful characters that the racing world has to offer.
Organised by category and designed for readers to experience in any order they choose, Ashforth’s book collects shorts about racing from around the world. From preserving Phar Lap to racing the wrong horse, this collection will share stories sure to entertain fans who enjoy a good turn of phrase and a bit of trivia about the sport we all love.
Each of Ashforth’s “curiosities” has been chosen to arouse interest. “They are stories of those curious creatures – people, and of horses. The curiosities are arranged in themes so that the reader can dip in and out, as the mood takes them. The collection should leave them with a benevolent view of an intriguing sport, if they didn’t already have one.
As we’re talking Christmas trees, and the gifts that potentially lie thereunder, I splashed out the full price of £20 to grab copy of the immensely entertaining Ashforth’s Curiosities of Horseracing (Merlin Unwin Books), and I don’t regret a penny spent. This one will not be heading for the local Oxfam bookshop. David Ashforth was a regular contributor to the Sporting Life and Racing Post and he has collated around 250 vignettes – all numbered and indexed, so dipping in and out is a joy – on a myriad of viewpoints of the sport. There are very few more skilled writers than Ashforth and his forensic research liberally speckled with his trademark-understated wit makes for hours of pleasure.
He has an eye for a curiosity and his research is brilliant. There’s a story here for everyone in this wonderful and abundant collection. It’s a steal at £20.
