In Jilly Cooper’s latest, raciest novel, Rupert Campbell-Black takes centre stage in the cut-throat world of toned racing.

Rupert is consumed by one obsession: that Like Rat, his adored gray horse, be proclaimed champion stallion. He longs to trounce Roberto’s Revenge, the stallion owned by his detested rival Cosmo Rannaldini, which means abandoning his race empire at Penscombe and his darling wife Taggie, and going after winners in the richest races world-wide, from Dubai to Los Angeles to about Support! Melbourne.

Luckily, the fort at home is held by Rupert’s assistant Gav, a genius with horses, fancied simply by every stable lass, yet damaged by alcoholism and a vile wife. When Gala, a grieving but ravishing Zimbabwean widow techniques to Penscombe as carer for Rupert’s wayward father, it isn’t just Gav who’s drawn to her: a returning Rupert finds himself dangerously lured.

Gala adores horses, so when she switches to working in the lawn, her carer’s work is taken by a devastatingly handsome South African guy who claims to become homosexual but seems much keener on looking after the angelic Taggie. And as progressively sinister functions of sabotage hit at Penscombe, the overall game of musical loose containers gathers apace .

Everybody loves Jilly Cooper:

‘Sex and horses: who could require more?’ Weekend Telegraph

‘Joyful and mischeivous’ Jojo Moyes

‘A delight from begin to finish’ Daily Email

‘Fun, sexy and unputdownable’ Marian Keyes

‘Escape into an alternative solution universe in which all is correct with the world’ Guardian

‘Flawlessly entertaining’ Helen Fielding