'It's one of the real sports that's left to us: a bit of danger and a bit of excitement, and the horses, which are the best thing in the world.'

* HM The Queen Mother on National Hunt racing.

This book traces how much National Hunt racing has changed since 1945- and also how Britain has changed too. The advent of motorways has made travel easier and racecourse safety has improved but the challenges for jump jockeys -the bravest of the brave- remain. It covers some of the biggest stories in jump racing over the last seventy-five years, including the dramatic collapse of Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National and the incredible exploits of three-times Grand National winner Red Rum. But it also contains lots of fascinating stories which the reader will not be so aware of, of trainers and horses long forgotten.