Grey horses have a special charisma - indeed, there are now even whole racesedicated to them. But Desert Orchid was also an astounding record breaker -inner of the Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Whitbread Gold Cup, the Irish Grandational, and an extraordinary four-times victor in the prestigious Queenother Chase at Kempton Park on Boxing Day. His triumphs, and his rareailures, became front-page news: he is unquestionably the only horse inritain to have attained a kind of rock-star celebrity. Though he ran hisast race in 1990, his fame is such that at the age of 24 he still puts inegular personal appearances at Cheltenham on Gold Cup Day and Kempton onoxing Day, unquestionably as one of the biggest stars of the show. Richardurridge has been Desert Orchid's owner from the beginning; this is hisnside story of one of the bravest horses British racing has ever seen.

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.

Think ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’ meets ‘Taken’. A young Arabian Queen must marry a wild, wicked and wilful Prince to save her people from civil unrest and protect the wealth of her Kingdom. Charisse never expected to find love with a darkly brooding man who looks and lives like a rock star, Mills and Boon Style Growing up as a member of royalty isn't everything it's proclaimed to be. Khalid El Haribe learned that heartbreaking lesson five years ago and isn't interested in ruling a small desert kingdom or marriage but he cannot forget the debt he owes his family. Perhaps doing his duty will atone for past mistakes? Meeting the beautiful and feisty Charisse comes as a pleasant surprise...the attraction between them burns as hot as the desert. But tragic events in Charisse's past threaten to destroy her Kingdom and her life, too. Can their fragile love survive? If you like Barbara Freethy, Bella Andre, Marie Force, Mills and Boon and Harlequin Romances you will enjoy this book. sheik romance, princess, desert romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, romantic thriller, cc mackenzie

Extraordinary but true stories from over 150 years of racing. This hilarious, sideways look at horse racing vividly recounts many of the strangest moments and oddest incidents from over 150 years of the sport's history. Andrew Ward recalls the time when spectators mounted two fallen horses and rode them to second and third places; the race which had to be re-run because the judge wasn't in his box at the finish; the ultrasonic binoculars that allegedly stunned a horse and unseated a jockey at Ascot, and many more. A totally original, offbeat collection of extraordinary but true stories, Horse-Racing's Strangest Races will be a delight to all lovers of the turf. Word count: 60,000

The Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing offers an innovative approach to one of Britain's oldest sports. While it considers the traditional themes of gambling and breeding, and contains biographies of human personalities and equine stars, it also devotes significant space to neglected areas. Entries include: social, economic and political forces that have influenced racing controversial historical and current issues legal and illegal gambling, and racing finance the British impact on world horseracing history and heritage of horseracing links between horse racing and the arts, media and technology human and equine biographies venues associated with racing horseracing websites The Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing provides a unique source of information and will be of great interest to sports historians as well as all those whose work or leisure brings them into the world of racing.

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.