Overview

"Horse racing may be famously known as the 'sport of kings' but, in the pursuit of prize money and getting one over the bookies, it also has attained a notoriety for some underhand, corrupt and downright illegal practices. Horse racing in Wales is not exempt from these dodgy dealings and on many occasions has led the way in it's ingenuity to devise jaw-dropping cons and cunning deceptions. In The Scams, Scandals and Gambles of Horseracing in Wales, Brian Lee, the veteran and highly regarded Welsh racing correspondent has, for the first time, compiled a comprehensive collection of true stories that reveals Welsh racing's most notorious crooks, loveable rouges and most infamous scams, including: The Oyster Maid affair, when a great gambling coup engineered at Tenby in 1927 nearly put paid to horse racing in Wales and was said by the Queen Mother's jockey, Dick Francis, to have been ""the most bitterly resented betting coup National Hunt racing has ever known"". The astounding story of Am I Blue's when, in 2010, a four-year-old filly, owned and trained by Aberkenfig's Delyth Thomas, romped home at Hereford after being backed from 25-1 to 5-1, despite having woeful form.As one reporter put it: 'There was outrage in some quarters and amusement in others. ' The elaborate switching of horses and the cutting of the telegraph wires at Bath races in 1953 which saw well-know Cardiff bookie Gomer Charles jailed for 2 years for fraud after his syndicate place GBP100k worth of bets on a 'ringer' racehorse that won at 20-1. The Scandals and Gambles of Horseracing in Wales includes stories both from racing 'under rules' but also from point-to-point, known as racing 'between-the-flags', as well as flapping (unlicensed racing). The stories in this enthralling book, in which the reader will meet many of the rogues of the turf, are informative as well as fascinating and will appeal to not only horse racing fans but also readers of true crime."

Full Product Details

9781902719313

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Brian's fascinating book lays bare some of the biggest scandals, and the strangest of happenings, of Welsh horse racing. It's packed with punchy, informative and often hilarious stories and anyone remotely interested in horse racing will love it.' Robert King, from his Foreword; 'Horse racing's popularity has been sustained through its astonishing ability to stumble from scams to corruptions and from bent jockeys to crooked bookies. Brian Lee, through his enormous passion and dedication to detail, is a walking encyclopaedia of horse racing and this special book on the fascinating drama and mystery of racing's 'dark arts' is one to truly enjoy.'Brian Radford, ex-Racing Editor of the Western Mail & Assistant Editor of The Sporting Life, from his Preface

Author Information

Brian Lee has worked as a racing correspondent for 50 years, writing for: The Sporting Life, Western Mail, Horse & Hound, the Racing Post. He is also a prolific author and this will be his 27th book.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available