Clower reveals all

OUR own Michael Clower, who supplies the South African news column, is the author of widely acclaimed biographies of Mick Kinane and Charlie Swan, and has written his first novel, a racing thriller.

Michael outlines the hair raising plot – could never be true, surely.

“Racing journalist and amateur jockey Rod Hutchinson is tipped off that certain horses are being doped to win. His secretive, early morning studies of the methods of the suspected trainers suggest something far more frightening and horrific than mere dope – and he resolves to expose them.

“He discovers that the trainers concerned are in league with an unscrupulous bookmaker who gives them over the odds in return for information that the horses can’t lose. Hutchinson is warned to drop the subject and, when he refuses, he is viciously attacked and threatened with far worse. Still he continues and this time the villains determine to kill him in spectacular fashion.

“At the same time the two horses Hutchinson owns are being run in an unscrupulous fashion that could threaten his writing and riding careers. He knows he has to find out why, and take action, before his world comes tumbling down.”

Riding For A Fall, published by Christel Foord Publishing (South Africa), is available on Amazon at £8.02 for the paperback and £9.72 for the Kindle edition.

Hemmings, great supporter of Irish racing

IRISH racing lost a fantastic supporter this week in Trevor Hemmings. He may not have had many horses in training here but he bought truckloads of National Hunt foals and stores. Having been locked down in the Isle of Man during Covid, he was itching to come to the Derby Sale this year. When his advisors told him he would have to go into the English bubble at Tattersalls, the 86-year-old Trevor reportedly said: “But we don’t have any Covid in the Isle of Man. I’m not going into the English bubble. They all probably have it!” He went on to buy over 20 three-year-olds this year.