I really enjoyed this book - more than I had anticipated in tact because I thought I 'knew' the story ie., ex-point-to-pointer comes good and almost by fluke wins the Cheltenham Gold Cup. As the sub-title suggests it is indeed a story straight out of fantasy and the fact is that Cool Dawn is quite a remarkable horse and is famous victory was certainly no fluke at all. His owner, Dido Harding is also an extremely fortunate woman but all she really wanted was a good horse to ride at point-to-points and it must be stressed that Cool Dawn was most certainly no armchair ride!

I came to really admire Dido Harding as I read this book. For a start she is refreshingly honest about her abilities in the saddle - and admits that at times they were not always adequate to enable her to assist her horse to do himself justice on the racecourse, and yet she did win races on him and not only at point-to-points, but on Grade I racecourses such as Ascot and Cheltenham under rules. Surely no-one who rides a winner on these tracks can be considered an inept rider? She certainly achieved her personal goals and indeed went far beyond them - all the while supported by the ever increasing group of family and friends who comprised the Cool Dawn 'fan club' and who devotedly turned out to watch him in often most unpleasant conditions.

This book isn't just a story about the horse's progress through the 'chasing ranks bit of Dido's own, and how she faces up to, and overcomes her fears and apprehensions. This personal aspect is what makes this book so readable, far more so than the more usual offerings from the pens of professional writers. Anyone can identify with Dido's highs and lows and share and enjoy the great triumph which is the climax of the book - by which time she has handed over the reins to a professional jockey......

A very enjoyable read.