Robin Oakley (2012) Britain and Ireland’s Top 100 Racehorses Of All Time. Corinthian Books
As trainer Henrietta Knight rightly points out in the foreword to the book: “How could anybody choose their top 100 racehorses and place them into an order?”
The ranking of particular horses is not the point of this book. Rather it is a mechanism by which to take a trip through a history of the Turf through some of the horses that dominated their era. An enjoyment of horseracing is not dependent on knowing all of the horses from bygone times but learning about the great horses of the past can help explain why there is a race called the Arkle Challenge Trophy at the Cheltenham Festival, or why Chester racecourse has a race named the Ormonde Stakes.
Robin Oakley’s book provides an excellent historical tour across the decades of the racing superstars of Flat and jumps of the time. Reading this well-researched volume will improve your knowledge of the Turf’s history immeasurably.
I approached this book by starting at the end, with the horse that Oakley placed in #1 spot and worked my way back to the front of the book. I also only read one or two entries at time because I found that reading any more diminished how impressed I was by each horse’s achievements, as all the wins and records began to merge. The best way to enjoy this book is definitely to dip into it for short bursts.
It is also worth reading Robin Oakleys’s racing column in the Spectator magazine for insightful opinions and interviews on racing matters.
