The New Treasury of Great Racing Stories

Most of the 14 tales collected here by British authors Francis ( Longshot ) and Welcome ( Grand National ) are notable for their charm. The two American entries, Damon Runyon's 1930s ``Pick the Winner'' and Gordon Grand's pre-WW I ``A Night at the Old Bergen County Race Track,'' sustain their period appeal nicely. Welcome's ``My First Winner,'' J. C. Squire's ``The Dead Cert'' and Molly Keane's ``Pullinstown'' are pure beguilement. The three bleakest stories are the best: Francis's ``Spring Fever,'' about an aging, horse-owning widow infatuated with a not-quite-honest young jockey; C.C.L. Browne's ``The Inside View,'' a deadpan, exciting tale of a steeplechaser's day; and Maurice Gee's ``The Losers,'' a melodramatic, noir story with a large cast. Edgar Wallace's ``The Man Who Shot The `Favourite' '' and A. B. (Banjo) Paterson's ``The Oracle'' are slightly humorous. (Aug.)