num_pages: 224
description: The appeal of horse racing knows no frontiers. The sport of kings stirs the blood of race fans throughout the world, whether they are crowding the infield at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, dwarfed by the daunting height of Becher's Brook on Aintree's Grand National course, or watching the results flash up on the massive video screen at Hong Kong's Sha-Tin racetrack. The World Atlas of Horse Racing is a fascinating journey round the great international courses -both new and old- which have hosted classic races and legendary thoroughbreds. Their names alone evoke the rich history of the sport. In the United States, Arlington Park, Belmont, Hialeah, and Laurel are just a few of the tracks covered. In Europe, the cradle of organized racing, highlights include Newmarket, Ascot, Epsom, Cheltenham, Longchamp, and the Curragh. In all, this Atlas visits 95 courses, from Gavea in Brazil to Te Rapa, New Zealand, describing the development, the tradition and the characteristics of each. Throughout, the major courses are illustrated by specially commissioned four-color panoramas, showing stands, starting gates, parade rings, and other distinguishing features, Additional courses are depicted in detailed drawings or outline diagrams. Over 180 color and black-and-white photographs help tell the stories of the races, riders, and horses that have thrilled racegoers across the world.
language: English
title: The World Atlas of Horse Racing
publisher: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited