The Bottom Line
Irish racing is a totally different environment compared to its American counterpart. In his latest book, transplanted Californian Bill Barich writes about his first winter in Ireland, visiting racecourses all over the countryside observing horsemen all aiming for the Cheltenham Festival, jump racing's Breeders' Cup. Racing is a social event to the Irish, a venue to take their families for an outing and to enjoy food and drink with their neighbors, and of course have a bet on the side.
Pros
- Enjoyable first-hand look at Irish racing from an American perspective
- Demonstrates how racing is ingrained into the Irish national consciousness
- Uses American racing terminology and currency for clarity
- Could explain why Irish racing is thriving and American racing is not
Cons
- We found no fault with this work. Recommended reading for all racing fans
Description
- Californian Bil Barich moved to Ireland after meeting an Irish woman during a trip to Paris.
- Barich meets with some interesting characters that make up the Irish steeplechasing community.
- He meets bookmakers at both ends of the spectrum. This is a very cut-throat business indeed.
- There are the high-profile Paddy Power, and small-timers who travel on the same train as the fans.
- The on-course bookies are still able to eke out a living despite increasing competition.
- He visits jockey Paul Carberry's home, and from his family learned about his many injuries.
- Jockeys suffer serious injuries as well as have to battle with weight in order to continue riding.
- He visits the training facility of Henrietta Wright, famous for 3-time Gold Cup winner Best Mate.
- She shows him some of her top horses and tells him what her hopes are for them.
- Best Mate wins his third Cheltenham Gold Cup during the timeframe of the book.
Guide Review - A Fine Place to Daydream
In his tour of Ireland, Barich visited racecourses across the country, which come in all shapes and sizes. From the ultra-modern and luxurious Leopardstown just outside Dublin, to the vast Curragh in County Kildare, home of the Irish Derby, to the small-time country tracks and point-to-point meetings with just a tent to provide shelter from the miserable winter weather, the Irish racing public demonstrates the passion their country has for the sport. The Gaelic word "craic" (pronounced "crack") is used frequently, referring to the fun and camaraderie shared by the Irish racing fan, often fuelled by drink. Barich uses this to show that there is no comparison between a cheap Irish race meet and a similarly cheap American one, which typically consists of vast, empty, aging grandstands and a few hardened old men huddled around the simulcast TVs. He hopes that Irish racing never suffers the same fate.Fans used to the day-in-day-out, year-round monotony of flat races around identical-looking dirt ovals in front of a non-existent live audience will find Irish racing to be a much more interesting sport, with such a wide variety of racecourses (none are oval and all are turf), with horses running on the flat and over jumps over undulating terrain, and the competition between bookmakers and the tote for the best prices adding another exciting element to the betting game. Those in charge of American racing should look to Ireland for suggestions on saving this great sport.
