In the original dustsheet. Navy cloth binding with gilt silver on the spine.

• F.B.A. provides an in-depth photographic presentation of this item to stimulate your feeling and touch. More traditional book descriptions are immediately available.

In 1993 Dido Harding borrowed 7000 from her bank to buy an Irish thoroughbred horse, hoping to ride him in ladies’ point-to-points. Five years later that risk paid off. This book tells the story of Dido Harding and the horse Cool Dawn and their success and triumphs against the odds.

Review: Winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup stands as the pinnacle of success in National Hunt racing. For amateur rider Dido Harding, this was hardly the aim when she purchased an Irish thoroughbred in 1993 for a mere £7,000. However, in 1998 Cool Dawn ran out winner of the world’s most prestigious steeplechase, following in the hoove-steps of a long line of equine greats. Gold Cup winners, like those of the Grand National, have always provided good stories. No follower of racing could forget the triumph of Dawn Run and Jonjo O’Neill, after both had overcome severe physical adversity. Cool Dawn’s story makes an interesting addition to the canon. From early successes in point-to-points and hunter-chases with Harding as the pilot, via a share of accidents, to eventual success under a professional jockey, the tale told here has the essential ingredients of a yarn sure to please racing fans. Harding tells the tale from the perspective of both an owner and an enthusiast and provides a clear account of the progress of Cool Dawn as well as those involved with the horse. Supporters of racing and potential racehorse owners alike will revel in the romance of this account of glory founded on humble beginnings. –Trevor Crowe

                                            Racing silks of Dido Harding

Cool Dawn (11 May 1988 – 25 March 2018) was a National Hunt chaser of the 1990s who went from winning minor Point-to-Point races to winning the 1998 Cheltenham Gold Cup, the Blue Riband of National Hunt Racing.