The Bottom Line
Pros
- One of the most useful U.S.-oriented foreign racing guides we have seen in recent years
- Can be used by horsemen, horseplayers, and travelers alike
- Thorough coverage of 42 of the world's top racecourses outside North America
Cons
- Arguably a limited audience, but it serves that audience well
Description
- Shuback covers 42 world-class racecourses in-depth, sorted by country.
- These include course diagram, address, phone number, URL, and a brief description of the layout.
- This is key as the diagram may not clearly indicate steep inclines or sharp turns.
- He then goes into the history -- who built the course, how were its important races foiunded, which horses have won there
- Important to horseplayers, he explains how horses from that course would fare against American competition
- Just because a race is Group 1, does not necessarily mean its winners are American Grade 1 quality; they may be Grade 2 or 3
Guide Review - Global Racing: The Complete Guide to the Greatest Foreign Racecourses
The book covers racecourses across Western Europe, parts of South America, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. In each section, Shuback starts with the major racecourses with in-depth coverage as described above. He then continues with the second-tier tracks, 72 in total, many of which host Group races but are a notch below the top tier in general quality, much like New Jersey or Illinois are a notch below New York and Kentucky. Horses from these tracks are more likely to surface in American listed or Grade 3 company rather than a Breeders' Cup. He also lists the major English and French steeplechase courses such as Cheltenham and Auteuil among the second-tier, as European jumps horses rarely ship to America.Two useful appendices are also included covering the top races around the world. The first lists the 100 richest Thoroughbred flat races in 2007 with the race name, group/grade, racetrack, country, distance, surface, age/sex restrictions, and total purse in U.S. dollars. The second lists the last 20 runnings for 53 of the world's most prestigious races with winners (including trainer, jockey, and owner), second and third place finishers, and final running times.
Armed with the data Shuback has provided from thorough research and personal experience, racing fans and horsemen alike can map out raids on top foreign races like the Dubai World Cup, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, or the Hong Kong Cup. More importantly, bettors can more confidently handicap first-time foreign imports when they show up at Belmont, Woodbine, or Santa Anita.
