A relentless search for hope at the bottom of racing's barrel

Racing in literature is, by and large, an uplifting and edifying affair in which, although hardship and injustice may rear their collective ugly head from time to time, the story will mostly make its way towards the twin ideals of glory and redemption.

It's unlikely Enid Bagnold set out with the intention of making National Velvet a gritty expose of the seamy underbelly of jump racing, or that Laura Hillenbrand was attracted to the tale of Seabiscuit by any darkness that may have beset the American turf in the 1930s. These were narratives founded upon the inspirational power of sport and its capacity to give the underdog their day in the sun. It would be unwise to approach Kick The Latch with any similar expectations.

Kathryn Scanlan's horseracing story, as told in the blunt and unflinching words of Midwestern trainer Sonia, is more a smudged portrait of human endurance than a celebration of achievement against the odds. Any humour here is as dark as it is welcome. Such achievement as there is lies in refusing to be beaten down by mindless violence, inhumanity and social inequity while continuing to pursue a dream that, even at its most fulfilling, seems to offer not much more than tiny hillocks of satisfaction in an unforgiving landscape.

Not that Sonia expects a great deal more from her life, as it unfolds in tiny snippets of chapters, from the day in 1962 when she was "born with a dislocated hip", told she would never walk and "put in a solid plaster from my chest down, with just a little spot for my mom to put a diaper".

From this moment on, even beyond the day she quits racing to join the prison service, her life is an unequal struggle, recounted in language as sparse and bleak as an Iowa winter as she sustains herself, traipsing from yard to yard, job to job, bad to good to bad, in the dwindling hope she might one day encounter people above her in the food chain who aren't a source of grave disappointment.

Racing doesn't come out of it well and neither do many racing people, but let's make no mistake, this is the kind of racing that's left after the bottom of the barrel has been scraped a few times by folk who are trying to scratch a living. There are horses and people who have arrived here after the evaporation of false hope, and others for whom there has never been much hope, and they all risk being treated badly. The days when Sonia's face could be lit up by being gifted a five-hour session on her favourite pony for her birthday are long gone, but the lingering faith will never quite leave her alone.

When she's raped by a drug-addled jockey, her response is not to report it and risk losing her job, but to "cut my hair real short after that". After all, "it was bad, but anyway, I survived". She's kicked in the head, beaten up, almost strangled, sees top-level trainers training worse than the lowliest on the backstretch, looks on as riders boast about their vomiting prowess as they swelter in hot cars, wrapped up in clingfilm and glycerin.

It's all pretty ugly and desperate, but underpinning the whole flimsy structure is hope, however flimsy. There are good people out there, if you're lucky enough to stumble across them, and racing has its share, but you'll need something to sustain you while you're looking for them.

Sonia is one of the good ones, an uncomplaining friend to her horses, unable to shake the habit that might finally give her the good life she deserves. And so she tells her story, brutal and hopeful by turns, but never coloured by the romance of racing. She won't be winning the Grand National, played by Elizabeth Taylor, but she may survive the ordeal, which would be a victory in itself.

We're not sure quite how real Sonia is, but she certainly feels real, and no matter what the world throws at her, she retains the understated philosophical instinct to understand that the people around her, the good and the bad, the ones with the steel rods in their spines and the drug habits and the suicidal desperation, are in the same boat as her, just trying to stay afloat.

"Before a racecard started," she remembers, "the chaplain would hold a prayer service in the jockeys' room. A lot of the jocks joined. Most of them – I think all of them – would sit and say a prayer together. It didn't matter what they believed."

Kick The Latch is a relentless, occasionally uplifting, search for faith at the impoverished end of a racing world where faith often seems to make little sense. Dig deep into it, but don't expect to come away from it feeling a million dollars.

Kick The Latch by Kathyrn Scanlan is published by Daunt Books (£9.99)
Peter Thomas

A comprehensive and fascinating starting point to the jumps season

Cheltenham is steadily going through the gears and the big Newbury meeting will be upon us before the month is out. And if that's not enough to quicken your pulse, the Racing Post Guide to the Jumps will really bring your excitement at what's to come over the next few months to fever pitch.

Yes, we know by now that all roads lead to Prestbury Park in March, but what we're dealing with in this book is the anticipation, the early skirmishes and the first thoughts on who might be the horses to follow as the season gathers pace.

Woven around reams of data and pen portraits of all the key horses are the thoughts of all the top trainers – not least rising star Harry Derham – and the deeper analysis, provided by the Post's best tipsters, which are instantly alluring to anybody looking to map out the next few months, be it out of pure enthusiasm and fascination or with a view to a punting profit.

Some races seem to be already set in stone – although even the Champion Hurdle, seemingly at the mercy of Constitution Hill, presents a betting opportunity, according to ante-post guru Nick Watts – but elsewhere there is endless potential for debate and divergence, with Watts singing the praises of a Champion Chase contender from Britain who has the ability to challenge the Irish dominance.

Richard Birch has ten to follow, including one he puts forward as "a massive money-spinner for punters this season", while Graeme Rodway goes full tilt into the spring festivals, offering up his own ten, headlined by the pick of the overseas raiders for the championship races, but not forgetting a contender from Sussex who can have a big say as well.

It's a starting point for the season, but it's a comprehensive and fascinating one, which will stand you in good stead whether you're planning to argue with your friends about the key races over the next few months or take the fight to the bookies from the outset.

The Racing Post Guide to the Jumps, edited by David Dew, is published by Pitch Publishing (£14.99) - click here to buy now
Peter Thomas

An eyecatching read but not in the conventional sense

The new addition to the portfolio of books by jumps expert Andy Gibson has been given the name '50 Eyecatchers' but it is not a conventional horses-to-follow guide. There is nothing conventional about it.

For a start, Gibson avoids anything that might resemble broad-brush treatment. He will not be seeking praise simply because one of his 50 essay subjects wins a race over the coming months. Where a horse is given positive reviews, any recommendations are specific to stated races, periods or conditions. As an example, Gibson explains why he believes one well-known staying chaser could prove profitable to punters in some of the winter's biggest long-distance handicaps, but he is equally clear he would not fancy him for the Grand National. The author explains why in detail.

The book also breaks from the norm in putting forward horses punters should be happy to oppose. Once again, the advice is given in detail, a good case in point being a high-class chaser who is recommended as a betting opportunity on his seasonal reappearance but not thereafter.

Interspersed among the 50 eyecatchers are some of the punting strategies and theories for which Gibson is well known. The winner of the 2024 Coral Cup may also be lurking within the book's pages.

50 Eyecatchers by Andy Gibson can be ordered for £15 (including postage and packaging) at thecheltenhamtrail.co.uk
Lee Mottershead 

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The jumps season is coming! Pick up your copy of The Big Jump Off, out now and packed with everything you need for the 2023-24 National Hunt season. Our brilliant 72-page supplement, including ante-post tips, guest columnists, top trainer profiles, divisional analysis and much more, is available to order from the Racing Post shop here.