The Boss : The Life and Times of Horseracing Legend Gordon W.Richards

The sudden death of Gordon W. Richards in late September 1998 brought a premature end to a legendary training career which had seen him rise from obscurity to national fame as master of his professsion.

Consigned to racing's scrap-heap with a broken back at the age of 29, he scraped a living as a livery stable proprietor and horse-dealer in a remote part of Northumberland.

Then, five years later, he discovered Playlord and a new dawn broke.

Rugged, demanding and outspoken, sometimes ruthless but never lacking in humour, Gordon made relentless progress through the ranks. "The Boss", as he was widely known, liked to run his stable his way.

Horses, not humans, headed the pecking order - as many famous riders and owners discovered to their cost.

Few escaped unscathed. In over 30 years he employed only six stable jockeys: two of these, Ron Barry and Jonjo O'Neill, gained championship honours.

This biography, written with the full cooperation of Richards himself, provides an insight into the forces that drove him to become one of the most respected trainers in the world.