Taken for a Ride

Francis Hyland's hugely entertaining book tells the stories of betting coups and scandals down the years. Ever since the earliest days of organised racing, there has been a non-stop battle between bookmakers and punters. As soon as the bookmakers close one loophole, clever punters respond - legally and illegally - to beat the system and win a fortune. Taken for a Ride has a cast of hundreds, many of them disreputable and most of them comic. Although not exclusively focused on Ireland, this is where the main emphasis of the book lies. He tells hilarious yarns, such as the one about the pig than beat the thoroughbred horse to land a betting coup, the famous story of the Gay Future betting scandal (Murphy's stroke as it is often erroneously called), and the day the bookmakers went on strike and refused to pay out. Here is a cast of rogues, villains, spivs and chancers, all happily trying to beat the system and make a killing.