ANNE Holland’s love affair with the Aintree Grand National is enduring and her latest book is another celebration of a race that holds a special place in many hearts.

This book focuses on the many record-breakers that have peppered the race’s history, rather than being a chronological history of the marathon. In 2019 the race celebrated 180 years since the first running, and during that time many records and milestones have been achieved.

From the first winner of the race, Lottery, through to Ireland’s resurgence as a 21st century powerhouse for winners, from Bruce Hobbs becoming the youngest winning rider in 1938 to Jenny Pitman creating history as the first female trainer of a winner in 1983, Holland charts the race’s progress through 31 highly entertaining and readable sections.

The chapter on the unluckiest loser, Devon Loch, is followed by one on Foinavon, surely the luckiest winner nine years later. Almost every chapter is about a name that is indelibly associated with the Aintree spectacle, but it is a joy to read about them all again.

Reynoldstown, Crisp, Aldaniti and Mr Frisk are some of the equine stars, while the stories of Charlotte Brew, Dick Saunders and Leighton Aspell are featured, along with a chapter dedicated to two of the voices most associated with the race, Peters O’Sullevan and Bromley.

The Grand National – A Celebration of the World’s Most Famous Horse Race is published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson and costs £20.

NOT surprisingly Rough Magic has been shortlisted for some notable literary prizes. In 2013 Lara Prior-Palmer become the first Briton and the youngest rider to win the Mongol Derby. Some 1,000 kilometres in distance, and requiring the aid of 25 horses, this feat of endurance crosses a trail once pounded by none other than Genghis Khan.

Facing extreme weather conditions, from excessive heat to frightening storms, Prior-Palmer spent 10 gruelling days tackling one of the greatest challenges known to human and horse. Illness, dehydration, falls and exhaustion failed to dampen her spirit and she survived this great adventure thanks to a resolute stubbornness.

Showing a writing skill that belies the fact that this is her first book, Prior-Palmer tells her story in a way that will captivate anyone with an interest in equines, and also those without. Not only did she test her riding skill to the limit, but she also gained insights into her own personality and fortitude and this book will inspire many to go out and take on the world.

Published by Ebury Press and with a cover price of £16.99, Rough Magic is a book that comes with a must-read recommendation.

A VOLUME that will have an appeal way beyond equine and equestrian circles is the scholarly but readable offering from Terence Dooley and Christopher Ridgway. Sport and Leisure in the Irish and British Country House might not seem to be the sexiest of titles, but it delivers as described.

Hunting features prominently as a subject. Edith Somerville’s association with the West Carbery pack, the impact and legacy of the South Union Hunt in the lives of the south Cork gentry, and the American Harry Worcester Smith’s arrival among the hunting fraternity of Westmeath all make for compelling reading.

Horse racing and breeding are covered from a British perspective, but the book’s compilers also look at pursuits such as yachting, archery, cricket, croquet, shooting. Gaelic football and golf.

Never judge a book by its cover is a well-known phrase, and while there is nothing wrong with the jacket of this volume, it does not adequately convey the wide-ranging coverage within the 320 pages. This is a book I imagine picking up many times in the future.

Sport and Leisure in the Irish and British Country House is a gem and worth every cent of its €29.95 cover price. It is published by Four Courts Press in Dublin.