This is a collection of three decades of John Oaksey's horse-racing journalism as "Audax" in "Horse and Hound". His writing draws on a close knowledge of the sport and extensive experience as a leading amateur jockey in the post-war period. The pieces include descriptions of races from both the stands and the saddle, notably the 1963 Grand National, in which Oaksey's mount Carrickbeg was narrowly beaten by Ayala. Other pieces focus on outstanding horses such as Arkle, Mill Reef, Dawn Run and Desert Orchid, leading personalities of the racing world and a range of controversial issues, from all-weather racing to the use of the whip. Sean Magee, who has prepared and edited the selection, is the author of "The Channel Four Book of Racing".