China Races

by Austin Coates

Some fading to the spine, page edges tanned and a gift inscription. Shipped from the UK in recyclable card packaging.

Paperback

Published September 29, 1994

Reviews

[James Porteous · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly niche history, of horse racing in China - which by necessity is a history of colonialism, the Treaty Ports and the rich foreign merchants, for these were the people who had to have racing wherever they settled in Asia (the Chinese were keen observers and gamblers from the start and later participants). The modern history of China is thus told through this lens, halting abruptly around 1949 as the Red Army had no truck with foreigners or their pursuits. As an exception to the march of history, racing continues to this day in Hong Kong, where the equivalent of USD 17 billion was wagered in the previous season. The not-for-profit Jockey Club (which commissioned this book in 1984 to commemorate its centenary) typically funds around 7-9% of the city's total budget each year.

Coates's style is anecdotal and bite-size, sometimes to the detriment of perceiving the bigger picture or a larger narrative, but a very enjoyable and interesting read.