Crossword Genius

Give a direction to a bookmaker and he runs fast (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sprinter

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'a bookmaker and he runs fast' is the definition.
The answer is a person as well as being a singular noun. This is suggested by the definition.

'give a direction' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'direction' could be 's' (S is an example) and 's' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'printer' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

'to' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for sprinter that I've seen before include "one promising a fast run?" , "Fast runner" , "He runs as fast as he can over short distance" , "speedy runner" , "Person in short race" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app