If the Melbourne Cup is the race that stops the nation, then Waterhouse and Smith are the two names that capture Australia's fascination with racing.

Waterhouse and Smith is the unauthorised biography that provides an insightful look into the world of Australia's most famous Racing dynasties. It follows the Waterhouses' fortunes from their beginnings in Australia with the arrival of the First Fleet to the career of Bill Waterhouse, who dominated the betting ring for decades and duelled with punters such as The Babe and Kerry Packer. It covers the Fine Cotton scandal, with rare access into steward enquiries and committee deliberations as the famous ring-in brought the Waterhouses' world crashing down.

The book also traces the rise of Tommy Smith from his poor origins to becoming a world leading trainer. It details the careers of Tommy's champions such as 'Tulloch', and the Cox Plate legend 'Kingston Town'.

Waterhouse and Smith also examines Gai Waterhouse and her determined rise to power through the male dominated industry of racing, her family dramas and the secret of her success as told from those who worked close by her.

Written by author and journalist John Ellicott, Waterhouse and Smith is a controversial and compelling book that looks at the families' successes, feuds and scandals with startling revelations about the inner workings of the Waterhouse and Smith families. Ellicott's book is thoroughly researched and brings to light new material which draws on countless interviews to expose the untold stories of Australian Racing.

John Ellicott has spent 20 years working as a journalist for several publications, including the Daily Telegraph and the Australian, where he reported on the Robbie Waterhouse hearings during the Fine Cotton affair. He later become the nations first gaming writer. He currently works for the Illawarra Mercury as a part-time sub-editor along with researching new books and being at home with his children. His first book A Year on the Punt is now in it's second reprint due to it's success.

Look out for Garry Robinson's review of Waterhouse and Smith in our Summer edition of Horse Racing Australia Magazine, due out in early December.