Top tipster Marten Julian, who lives at Kendal, has written a fascinating new book about the world of horse racing and how horsemen try to get their best out of racehorses. Andrew Thomas met him to find out more.

What is it that makes one racehorse faster than another? Why do some horses show early promise but then fail to live up to expectations? Can the spirit of a horse be broken and, if so, can that spirit be rekindled?

These are just some of the questions explored by Kendal's Marten Julian in his fascinating new book, Strictly Classified.

Marten, 62, is highly regarded within the horse racing industry due to his huge experience and knowledge of horses and their form.

Born in Leeds, he read theology at King's College, London, but, due to the high incidence of theft in the theology faculty, he needed to find a way to raise cash to buy the books he needed to complete his degree.

He found it at Hackney Greyhound stadium and soon was publishing a tipping sheet which sold well. A year later, after graduation, he switched allegiance to horse racing and, in 1972, founded one of Britain's first independent advisory services.

In 1979 he was invited to work alongside Brough Scott at The Sunday Times and was involved in the popular Warm Up column, which ran for 12 years.

He has worked for many of the top racing publications and is now a leading authority on unexposed and unraced horses, which he continues to discuss through the Dark Horses Annuals, now into their fifth decade.

He is also a trained counsellor and it is this combination of superb racing knowledge and insight into the human mind that has helped him write a fairly unique book.

"I felt I could give a unique insight into the subject because of my background in theology, philosophy and psychotherapy," said Marten.

Research took two years although the interviewing process happened last winter. "I had to get access to the quality of trainer I wanted and because I am familiar with the racing programme I knew that at that time he would likely to be curled up in front of a log fire having a drink!"

Strictly Classified is broken down into chapters but each focuses on interviews with leading trainers, owners, jockeys and horse experts, who reflect on how they identify with a horse's individual personality and how they try to translate that into realising its full potential on the racecourse.

One chapter focuses on the reason horses run quickly in races. Is it down purely to 'fear' - as in the fight or flight scenario - as some experts believe? One is quoted saying that humans have a reason to run - ' a gold medal or fame and glory at the end'. A horse, on the other hand, 'does not know about fame and glory. He does not look in the Racing Post to read about how well he has done! A horse does not know it is a racehorse. It only knows it is a horse.'

Marten, however, shies away from the theory that people try to make horses sense danger to make them run swiftly, coming down on the side of the theory that they have been bred for generations to be competitive and have a joie de vivre that makes them want to run as fast as they can.

The most startling thing Marten said he discovered while writing Strictly Classified was 'how much trainers care'. "I approached the book with a degree of cynicism, assuming that to some people in the industry it is just a business, but I did not find one example of anyone who thought that way. For example, when I was asking about how they felt about the loss of a horse, the way in which they talked was deeply moving."

I suppose this could have been a book that might have only appealed to those fascinated by racing. Part of the reason it is not is that Marten Julian disarmingly reveals a lot about his own background and experiences, not all them positive, to try to draw comparisons and conclusions with the world of horses and racing and the psyche of both trainer and horse. It is, therefore, a warm book with a heart and will appeal to anyone, not just the racing enthusiast.

The books, illustrated throughout with black and white photographs, is full of references to famous races and horses (Frankel, Red Rum and Arkle for example) and to famous racing personalities such as Willie Carson, John Francome and Paul Nicholls. There are also celebrities who have been heavily involved with racing - Mel Smith, footballer Mick Channon, rock star Steve Harley and so on - and lots of references to other well-known people and cultural icons, including Ayrton Senna, the LA Lakers, Albert Einstein and even the film The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

It is also a book that, while it might not turn you into a racing enthusiast, will certainly make you think a little deeper about the sport and how it works when you next see a race on television.

* Strictly Classified: Insights Into The Trainers' Mind by Marten Julian is published by the Racing Post (£20). It is available at Waterstones at Kendal and through the Racing Post's website - www.racingpost.com - at a discounted price of £15. Signed copies are also available at £15 from Marten’s Kendal office (01539 741007) at 69 Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria.