Racing Reviews

Ascot's history begins almost 300 years ago, in 1711, but took a long time to establish itself. Documentation of the early history is incomplete - for example, the result of the first race staged there is not known, although a list of all the horses competing was preserved. Apparently, the person who was supposed to record the result didn't turn up to see the race. Such modest beginnings contrast sharply with what Ascot later became.

This book, written with the co-operation of the royal family, explains their role down the years. You are not left in any doubt which kings and queens enjoyed horse racing and which ones were uninterested.

Ascot only really started to blossom in the reign of King George III, who was the subject of the movie The madness of King George. The king was not interested in horse racing, but his son the Prince Regent was, and it was he (who eventually became King George IV) who made Ascot into a major racecourse, which it has remained ever since. The prince was also responsible for beginning all the pageantry that has now become part of the Ascot scene every June.

Despite the royal patronage and the fashions, ultimately it is the racing that most of us are really interested in. Many champion racehorses have competed at Ascot and their exploits are given plenty of coverage. Although not a champion in the true sense of the word, Brown Jack was a very popular horse in the 1920's and a whole chapter is devoted to his exploits.

The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was inaugurated in 1951 and has now become Ascot's most prestigious race. Run at the end of July, it has been won by some great champions including Ribot, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Dahlia (twice), Shergar, Dancing Brave, Lammtarra, Swain (twice), Daylami and Galileo. Plenty of coverage is given to this great race, including the exciting finish in which Grundy beat Bustino.

Traditionally, the Gold Cup was Ascot's most prestigious race. Staged on the Thursday of the royal meeting in June, it is run over two and a half miles. It is still a race worth winning, but despite some popular winners such as Sagaro (who won three Gold Cups) and Double Trigger, this race is not particularly important these days. In the nineteenth century, horses who won the Epsom Derby as three-year-olds sometimes ran in the Gold Cup as four-year-olds. They did not always win, but many did, notably Isinglass, the Triple Crown winner of 1894, in 1895. No modern Epsom Derby winner would attempt to win the Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is given plenty of coverage in the book.

Ascot has also seen plenty of champion milers, including Brigadier Gerard, Kris, Rose Bowl, Warning and Dubai Millenium, while steeplechasing and hurdling also get covered. Desert Orchid won eight times there, including his thrilling victory over Panto Prince in the 1989 Victor Chandler.

A chapter is devoted to the extraordinary day in 1996 when Frankie Dettori rode all seven winners, a feat unlikely to be matched in my lifetime.

This is a magnificent book, well worth the price, which tells you everything you need to know about one of the greatest racecourses in the world.

As for Unbeatable, a new American edition is to become a reality, but that's not scheduled to appear until 2003. So what's so good about the original? And what should be improved?

The plus points of quattro in the Haynes 1984 edition [or the German-only 1985 mild uprate from Mototbuch Verlag] are its immense depth, born of direct factory cooperation and first hand experience. It covers both motorsports [mainly World Championship rallying] and the street development of the unique 4x4 turbo quattro, a coupe that set technical standards for 20 years. It talks directly to the engineers who made it happen, many of whom are retired today.

The snags to the original are poor presentation [the grainiest black and white you'll see outside WW11 battle footage] and an illogical running order, characteristic of this author.

If you need a genuine quattro fix before 2003 hunt one of these collectibles down. If not, the American edition will likely overcome the original minus points. As a bonis it will offer many US motor racing tales [Audi won the 1988 Trans Am title], the story of quattro's 600 bhp Pikes Peak monsters and 15 years of Audi's legendary Vortsprung durch technik [Progress through Technology.

I'm a motorsports junkie. Also, I like to know how things "tick". "The Autocourse History of the Grand Prix Car 1945-65" by Doug Nye combines these two interests of mine in a formidable, well illustrated, technical yet readable volume written with great insight from an F1 enthusiast. It's not just a nuts and bolts book, though. The technical evolution of the cars and teams is examined in detail with reference to the context of team management, the drivers involved, the racecourses upon which the championships were contested and with an eye to what the competition was up to meanwhile. Its appendix is just as impressive; it's a formidable gallery summarizing the efforts of all of the others who have contested for the big prize, with varying levels of success.

This is a large hardcover bound book, printed on thick, glosssy stock and includes many black and white photographs of the cars in action, being worked on in the pits and in the garages, their details and some archive photos from the various manufacturers. There is a color center section with some large, full page photographs taken at various venues.

It offers a far more comprehensive look at the sport and its history than contemporary motorsports coverage's often tempered sound bites and superficial exposes. I recommend it and its equally impressive companion volume dealing with Grand Prix formula cars from 1966 to 1991 to the technologically curious and die hard F1 fans as wonderful primers for understanding and enjoying contemporary F1.

M. N. Dias