Blood Stock - Couverture souple

As a racehorse, Moondancer had been a champion; but as a stallion he was a total failure. So when he is found dead in his box at the Drumgarrick stud one morning, his owners feel more relieved than sorry, and promptly make a massive five million pound insurance claim. But then Drumgarrick's owner disappears and his son Fergus is left facing financial ruin...and a corpse. A brilliant amateur jockey, Fergus has a vested interest in seeing the claim is met in full. But Jack Hendred, the insurance investigator, is sure that it is fraudulent, and is determined to prove it...

Ex-National Hunt Champion Jockey John Francome is a broadcaster on racing for Channel 4. He lives in Berkshire.