LAST HURRAH
At a time when international horseracing is facing extreme hardship, this thrilling tale both entertains and educates readers on the world of racing, breeding, training…and the greed within.
Racing enthusiasts and fiction lovers alike will enjoy this twisting storyline.
Latest reviews
Only someone who knows horse racing well could write about it like this. Robin Dawson's understanding and descriptions are so exact. You just don't find books like this anymore. I couldn't put it down.
I really enjoyed reading Last Hurrah. Too many novels with a racing theme are written by those who are not experts. This is not the case with Robin Dawson. This story is riveting, the characters vividly portrayed and the action non-stop.
Brimming with dense, interwoven plotlines and borne along by an exotic cast of characters drawn from colliding worlds, Robin Dawson’s “Last Hurrah” comes at the reader like the feverish spawn of Dick Francis and Tristram Shandy. Every twist has an unpredictable turn for those caught up in the drama, just as every heroic Thoroughbred has a destiny to be fulfilled. It’s a bracing ride to be taken with both hands on the reins.
There are few more valuable commodities in the racing and gambling world than inside information. Robin Dawson has used his extensive knowledge of the international bloodstock industry, drawn from his years as a horseman, trainer and journalist, to produce a cracking first novel. With a huge cast of colourful characters and settings ranging from Churchill Downs, Kentucky to Royal Ascot, Woodbine and Saratoga, he lifts the lid on some of racing’s shadiest practices, while still celebrating the beauty and spectacle of the Turf. It’s a gripping read and recommended to punters and railbirds everywhere.
A rollicking good yarn, full of wit and technical insight. The pace was remorseless and one never knew quite how it might turn out; hence one had to keep turning the pages.
The action sweeps the reader along breathlessly. Robin's gift is that he makes the esoteric behind the scenes activities of horsemen understandable for the non-racing reader. A worthy successor to Dick Francis.
Dawson is a skilled writer. His descriptions make it easy to visualize the characters. He paints vivid pictures of various farms and racetracks. He takes us to England and India and Saratoga and Ascot and even Woodbine.
A triumphant rollercoaster ride through racing’s complex landscape, encompassing nail-biting drama, mystery and tragedy, it shares much with Dick Francis but on an international scale.
The best read I have had in a long time. Robin Dawson is spot on with his unmasking of the seedy and inhumane world of horse racing in North America. Yet, throughout the story, the spirit of the best horsemen and women comes shining through.
Robin Dawson’s Last Hurrah captures the zest and quirkiness of thoroughbred owners and breeders and all the myriad of associated people who make racing the sport it is. When the element of mystery is thrown into this already extraordinary landscape, the result is its own fast-paced trip to the finish line.