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Mick Fitzgerald with Donn McClean

When you think of Mick Fitzgerald, you might think of his masterful ride on Rough Quest to win the 1996 Grand National, or his interview with Des Lynam live on BBC afterwards: “After that, Des, even sex is an anti-climax”.

You might think of his victories in the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Champion Chase or the Triumph Hurdle or the Hennessy Gold Cup because, as one of the most accomplished jump jockeys ever to throw his leg over a saddle, Fitzgerald has just about done it all. You might not want to think about his fall from L’Ami at the second fence in the 2008 Grand National, however, or about the displacement of three vertebrae and two disks just two years after breaking his neck, an eight-hour operation and the possible present-day scenario had that operation not been an unqualified success. That would just be too close to the bone.

In Better Than Sex, Fitzgerald tells his story with a candidness that is both rare and refreshing. He provides a unique insight into life as a jockey in England, the struggles, the temptations, the victories, the celebrations. He tells openly of his failed marriage, of riding for The Queen, and about how the racing game has changed irrevocably during the 19 years since he crossed the Irish Sea, half a lifetime ago.

Fitzgerald is rightly known as one of the most articulate jockeys of recent times. They say that he could talk for Ireland. In Better Than Sex, his eloquence and his sincerity shine through.

Better Than Sex has been short-listed for the following awards:

• William Hill Irish Sports Book of the Year Award 2008
• Best Autobiography – British Sports Book Awards 2008
• Irish Sports Book of the Year – Irish Book Awards 2009

Reviews of Better Than Sex

“This takes you in close – the technical descriptions have an accomplished vitality never equalled on the page, the personal dilemmas are brutally, unavoidably frank. No one should miss it.”
Brough Scott

“Fitzgerald tells the story of his rise to grasp jump racing’s most coveted prize well, his memoirs shot through with a dry wit.”
Simon Redfern, The Independent

“There are a lot of sports books out there, but not a lot of good ones.  I read this one in a sitting and it is excellent.”
Eamon Dunphy

“A terrifically rewarding book. McClean has both the keen ear and sure touch to capture Fitzgerald’s voice on the page”
Denis Walsh, The Sunday Times

 

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