Ref "Winners All" ( 2012 ) by Anne Holland , first present I opened this morning . First chapter is about the headline horse , and I have always been aware of its significance in modern breeding history , one of 3 .
What I did not know though was that the horse was a serving cavalry horse around the time of the Battle of the Boyne , and was in Ireland for a period of about 2 years . You live and learn . Not sure how many of todays thoroughbreds would react in the heat of battle as then !
But it is another link with the past , and given our place in the worlds horse racing scene it sits well with me .
Looking forward to the other chapters , not all the ones I would have picked to write about , but for Irish readers in particular the inclusion of Cottage Rake , Nijinsky , Golden Cygnet , Istabraq , Dorans pride , Beef or Salmon , Moscow Flyer , and Hardy Eustace should make it a good read .