Racing reads

[come on oliver]

I recently finished Matthew Benns book - Fixed. It was a great read covering fixed races, money laundering and some darker sides to the industry.

Any books/autobiographies anyone can recommend?

 

[iluvparis]

Bart Cummings auto biography is worth a read - although could have used a better publishing editor (heaps of typos)

Also the book about the Waterhouse/Smith dynasties is pretty good

 

[HeathySure]

try any horse racing book by Les Carlyon .. he is probably the best recent journalist on horse racing, actually there are three, The Master which is on Bart, and True Grit which is a collection of short stories and They're Racing which i have but is probably out of print now.
If you can get your hands on a book called "the Prince and the Premier" by David Hickie, do it, its an awesome book on organised crime with lots of racing "Stories" but the book is 30 years old.
What are the odds by Bill Waterhouse.. a bookie who i am sure has left out a lot of stories cos he is a crook.. is a good read.
I want to read a book called the Gambling man which is on the Waterhouses, but i havent found it anywhere in ebooks
Also i head Pumper by Jim Cassidy is good.. but I havent read it, if you listen to the episode on Jim Cassidy on Howie Games podcast it will make you want to go buy it.

 

[come on oliver]

Bit of a bump but got Jimmy Cassidy’s book for Christmas. Worth checking out. Easy read. Pots a few names along the way

 

[Fabab]

I recently finished Matthew Benns book - Fixed. It was a great read covering fixed races, money laundering and some darker sides to the industry.

Any books/autobiographies anyone can recommend?

Was a great read mate.

 

[TheJanuaryMan]

The best racing reads are those that aren't actually about the neddies themselves. Have never really understood the attraction of a biography on a horse itself, unless there are quotes from the equine themselves. Much of the story of most legendary ones are already known.

 

[iluvparis]

I liked Bart Cummings bio - if you used his theories you just had to 'feed them well' and they suddenly improved 30 lengths on Cup Day

 

[come on oliver]

Yeah Bart’s book was great.
I’m not much of a reader. Fixed would have been the first book I’d got through since high school.
Tried the Winx Bio’s (the one they brought out before the 4th Cox plate) Couldn’t finish it. As dry as hell. Basically a written account of races and quotes in the media from Waller.

Been listening to the business of betting podcast lately. Is good. Found that from an earlier thread here.
If there’s any racing/betting podcasts or anything you blokes are into chuck them up here

 

[TheJanuaryMan]

Yeah Bart’s book was great.
I’m not much of a reader. Fixed would have been the first book I’d got through since high school.
Tried the Winx Bio’s (the one they brought out before the 4th Cox plate) Couldn’t finish it. As dry as hell. Basically a written account of races and quotes in the media from Waller.

Been listening to the business of betting podcast lately. Is good. Found that from an earlier thread here.
If there’s any racing/betting podcasts or anything you blokes are into chuck them up here

Exactly my point. Many of these books are the same...."after a 1.5 length win at Randwick, ridden by Hugh Bowman, she then went on to.....". It's like reading a big Wikipedia entry.

 

[IKnowtheDog]

Super Better Best and King and the Man are quality videos and sensational viewing

 

[HeathySure]

Les Carlyon has passed away. Very sad, has written some awesome books on Horse Racing. if you can get a hold of them well worth it.

 

[Pres]

Agree re Les. He was without peer as a racing writer. Chasing a Dream and True Grit both fantastic reads.

I should really read some of his WW1 books.

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

Agree re Les. He was without peer as a racing writer. Chasing a Dream and True Grit both fantastic reads.

I should really read some of his WW1 books.

Gallipoli is outstanding.

 

[come on oliver]

Agree re Les. He was without peer as a racing writer. Chasing a Dream and True Grit both fantastic reads.

I should really read some of his WW1 books.

Cheers haven’t read them. Will pick them up this week