"The principal club" relates the history of Australia's oldest and most influential racing organisation, the Australian Jockey Club, within the wider context of the story of the Australian turf. Horse racing is Australia's oldest cultural institution and, in the late twentieth century, its third largest industry. This book examines the origins of horse racing in New South Wales as well as the reasons for the formation of the AJC. It details the metamorphosis of racing from a sport to an industry by detailing the evolving relationship between the club and the state government, the development of Warwick Farm and Randwick from paddocks to modern racecourses, the transformation of the AJC from a club to a bureaucracy, and the revolution in the way in which races themselves are conducted. It also explores some of the major events which have characterized the history of the club, such as relating the 'inside story' of the JAC's enquiry into the Fine Cotton scandal. This generously-illustrated book will appeal not only to those interested in horse racing and its history but to all Australians with a curiosity about the origins of contemporary Australian culture. "Martin Painter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Government, Sydney University. Richard Waterhouse is a Senior Lecturer in Australian and American history at the University of Sydney.".