Book Recommendation

[snappit]

If you love your racing you may be interested in this book. I have just borrowed it from my local library in the UK but will now be buying it. It has some wonderful photography and really good descriptions and details about courses all over the world. I have checked and it seems to be available in the US.

'100 major horse racing venues with detail of each one’s history and heritage from BBC journalist, Cornelius Lysaght. Text is accompanied by contemporary photography and detailed diagrams created by Collins, the world-leading publisher of maps and atlases, making it an essential purchase or gift for any horse racing fan.
The book features each track in regional order, starting with the famous Epson Downs course in England then taking in renowned locations such as Churchill Downs, Royal Ascot and Flemington Racecourse, all the way up to the state-of-the-art Meydan Racecouse in Dubai.

More unusual and lesser known courses are also featured including the Pardubicka in Czech Republic, St Moritz in Switzerland and Ngong in Kenya.

Each course is accompanied by an array of statistics and the latest photographs from these scenic venues. It also features alphabetical and by country’ indices for ease of reference.'


https://www.amazon.com/World-Racecourses-Collins/dp/0008284970/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=world+racecourses&qid=1583453663&sr=8-1

[thaskalos]

I'd also like to make a book recommendation. The following is a book written by a British schoolteacher who got tired of teaching kids and decided to find out if he had what it takes to earn his living by his wits, at the racetrack. The action is strictly British, so we don't get to see our favorite racetracks featured in the narrative...but the horseplayer sentiment is universal, and the man is a gifted writer. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. :ThmbUp:

https://www.amazon.com/Addicted-Horseracing-Anatomy-Small-Gambler-ebook/dp/B01DT4V39A/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=addicted+to+horse+racing&qid=1583455254&s=books&sr=1-1

[46zilzal]

I wrote an article comparing courses from all over the Europe: England, France, Ireland, Italy, and Germany BEFORE the internet was widely available around 1990, published in The Backstretch called "Courses for Horses."

A that time, the investigations required direct "snail mail" correspondence between myself and the Jockey Clubs of each one of these countries and I must add that they were very helpful in that end sending multiple diagrams and descriptions (had to get the French one translated, but being in Canada that was not too hard). Found that many of the regional French courses do not even record the times of the races.

I was, and remain, amazed at the variety of wide differences of let's say Goodwood, to many in Germany where one of their jump races actually traverses a shallow lake in the infield.

I was able to visit several in England and, oddly, one in Sopot Poland (a MASSIVE jumper course). Had to laugh when I visited Brighton, England the track supervisor was sweeping the steps of the small grandstand there.