Alister Taylor, 1981, Hardcover, Book Condition: Very Good, Dust Jacket Condition: No, First
"The Thoroughbred in Australia dates back almost as far as the country's history. In 1799, only eleven years after the arrival of the First Fleet, came the first accredited (though not authenticated) thoroughbred, Rockingham, said to be a son of the purebred English Rockingham. While some of the earliest thoroughbreds were used to mainly to improve the quality of stock horses. It was not long before they & their offspring were put to their intended purpose - racing...Any such selection of this nature invites discussion, at the very least. In the notoriously fluctuating world of the thoroughbred it is extremely difficult to set absolute criteria, & stick to them. For example, the most obvious characteristic of champions (in any field) is that they win more often than they are beaten. The ratio of wins to losses is therefore a sound guide to finding star performers. However, on this basis such a horse as Tranquil Star could not be considered, with her 23 victories from a total of 111 starts. But the races she won, & the overall impact on the racing public, make her, in the last count, impossible to leave out. On the other hand, Todman won ten of his twelve starts, but by Antipodean standards, & in comparison to his great contemporary Tulloch, he could be criticized for not having sufficiently proved himself. Equally, his omission is inconceivable..." Many tipped-in colour plates. Plates were destroyed after printing. Size: 250mm - 350mm. 318 pages. Previous owners' inscription on first endpaper. Case has some shelf-wear, as well as some bumping to corners and extremities. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Over 3 kilos. Category: Animals & Birds; Australia; Games & Gaming. ISBN: 0908578253. ISBN/EAN: 9780908578252. Inventory No: 19198.
"The Thoroughbred in Australia dates back almost as far as the country's history. In 1799, only eleven years after the arrival of the First Fleet, came the first accredited (though not authenticated) thoroughbred, Rockingham, said to be a son of the purebred English Rockingham. While some of the earliest thoroughbreds were used to mainly to improve the quality of stock horses. It was not long before they & their offspring were put to their intended purpose - racing...Any such selection of this nature invites discussion, at the very least. In the notoriously fluctuating world of the thoroughbred it is extremely difficult to set absolute criteria, & stick to them. For example, the most obvious characteristic of champions (in any field) is that they win more often than they are beaten. The ratio of wins to losses is therefore a sound guide to finding star performers. However, on this basis such a horse as Tranquil Star could not be considered, with her 23 victories from a total of 111 starts. But the races she won, & the overall impact on the racing public, make her, in the last count, impossible to leave out. On the other hand, Todman won ten of his twelve starts, but by Antipodean standards, & in comparison to his great contemporary Tulloch, he could be criticized for not having sufficiently proved himself. Equally, his omission is inconceivable..." Many tipped-in colour plates. Plates were destroyed after printing. Size: 250mm - 350mm. 318 pages. Previous owners' inscription on first endpaper. Case has some shelf-wear, as well as some bumping to corners and extremities. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Over 3 kilos. Category: Animals & Birds; Australia; Games & Gaming. ISBN: 0908578253. ISBN/EAN: 9780908578252. Inventory No: 19198.