Right Royal - Hardcover

Masefield, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1906122601 ISBN 13: 9781906122607

Publisher: Merlin Unwin Books, 2013

Synopsis

Right Royal is an irresistible racing ballad, written by former Poet Laureate John Masefield, about a dream which turned into a feat of madness: a vice familiar to many in the world of gambling!

The poem was first published in 1920 and two years later a new edition was brought out, illustrated by Cecil Aldin. It has been out of print ever since.

The action of the poem centres on Charles Cothill, the central character of the story, who enters his steeplechaser Right Royal for the English Chasers' Cup, a race with obvious parallels with the Grand National. It is run over four and a half miles and features formidable fences.

Right Royal has earned a reputation for being ungenerous and temperamental, with remote prospects. But on the night before the race, Cothill dreams that the horse will win and the haunting line echoes throughout the poem: 'It's my day today--I shall not have another'

The whole of the poem draws the reader in to the rash stake the young love-lorn jockey puts on his horse, and captures all the thrill of the races as the enthralling events of the day unfold.

A tale of exhileration and heartbreak, folly and love, this is a spell-binding piece of flowing writing by one of Britain's finest poets.

Cecil Aldin's fine illustrations beautifully capture the thrills of horse racing.

About this title

About the Authors

John Masefield was born in Ledbury in 1878, orphaned at the age of six, and after a period at sea training for a naval career, he worked on the Manchester Guardian. In 1902 his Salt-Water Ballads was published, incorporating his celebrated poem, "Sea Fever". A year later he married and he and Constance had a daughter, followed by a son who later died in action in 1942. 1903 saw publication of a further volume of Masefield poems including "Cargoes". During WWI, Masefield served overseas with the Red Cross, afterwards settling to enjoy rural life in Oxfordshire.

Cecil Aldin, 1870-1935, studied anatomy at South Kensington and illustrated many magazines and journals. He was a Master of Foxhounds and many of his pictures depicted dogs, horses, hunting, and rural life.

Miles Napier is a former handicapper under Jockey Club and National Hunt Rules. He is the author of books on bloodstock breeding and racing. For over forty years a contributor to the Irish Field, he also wrote articles for The South African Racehorse, Owner-Breeder (California), Hoof Beats (New Zealand).
He lectured at the National Stud, and is a member of the Elite Racing Club.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Charles felt his horse see it and stir at the sight.
Again his heart beat to the dream of the night;
Once again in his heart's blood the horse seemed to say,
"I'll die or I'll do it. It's my day today."

He saw the grey water in shade from its fence,
The rows of white faces all staring intense;
All the heads straining forward, all the shoulders packt dense.
Beyond, he saw Thankful, the riderless brown,
Snatching grass, dodging capture, with reins hanging down.

Then Thankful stopped eating and cocked up his head,
He eyed the swift horses that Kubbadar led,
His eye filled with fire at the roll of their tread;
Then he tore down the course with a flash of bright shoes,
As the race's bright herald on fire with news.
As Charles neared the water, the Rocket ran out
By jumping the railings and kicking a clout
Of rotten white woodwork to startle the trout.
When Charles cleared the water, the grass stretcht before
And the glory of going burned in to the core.

Far over his head with a whicker of wings
Came a wisp of five snipe from a field full of springs;
The gleam on their feathers went wavering past
And then some men booed him for being the last.

But last though he was, all his blood was on fire
With the rush of the wind and the gleam of the mire,
And the leap of his heart to the skylarks in quire,
And the feel of his horse going onward, on, on,
Under sky with white banners and bright sun that shone.

Edition details

• Publisher: Merlin Unwin Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1906122601
• ISBN 13: 9781906122607
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Aldin Cecil
• Number of pages: 88