Chance

by Andrew Rule

'If you want to bet on numbers, go to a casino. If you want theatre, go to the races.' - Les Carlyon

All his life, Andrew Rule has watched racing's heroes and villains, dreamers and schemers.

In Chance, he distils the daring, the desperation and danger of the track, peeling back some of racing's most famous and infamous moments, its celebrations and its secrets, the grittiness behind the glitz.

There are stories of those who set the odds and those who take them, betting plunges planned more carefully than bank robberies, of tricky trainers, reckless jockeys and bold bookmakers.

Tough and sometimes tender, dark and sometimes funny, Chance transcends the industry they call the sport of kings.

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2021

Reviews

[Michael Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Rule writes with a nice touch of Aussie Larrikin. This is a series of great yarns, some fact, some maybe myth, about what was once a very colorful horse racing scene in Australia. If you like an Aussie yarn and have ever had an interest in the world of horse racing this is a book you shouldn't miss.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Rule is no Les Carlyon, but he comes bloody close. Although true crime fans would be much more familiar with the author’s work, he’s clearly had a life-long association with the racehorse industry – and, in this case, a keen follower of the needy and greedy. A book on ‘punting’ wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea but Rule does it so well and, despite my 50 year ‘link’ to the neddies, there’s a real freshness about his yarns : even if a number of subjects are well known to those inside the sport. Rule does quote Carlyon in the intro : “if you want to bet on numbers, go to a casino. If you want theatre, go to the races”. ‘Chance’ really does add to the theatre and the author will have you laughing and crying – sometimes in the same paragraph. Quoting one of the players, Rule pretty much sums it up with “racing people are not boring” but adds a line of his own: “this suggests he’s never been stuck in a lift with a breeding buff”. ‘Chance’? You won’t be bored.

[Gary Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good yarns

[Chris Waterford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of tales from the racing world over the last 50 years. The stories of betting plunges and of horses being set for a win in secret were quite compelling and enjoyable.
8/10