Fully agree, Yeats.
There was a lot going on at Kempton last night. A horse disqualified after the jockey weighed in light, a dramatic three way photo which took twenty minutes to decipher and a horse being withdrawn even though it had actually completed the course!
The situation really needed an experienced presenter on track. It is not her fault but unfortunately Ella McNeill’s lack of experience showed.
She didn’t tell viewers why a well backed favourite had been disqualified. She also insisted the near side horse had won in the photograph despite George Baker telling her twice it hadn’t, as was evident from the freeze frame which clearly showed one of the other noses was in front on the line.
Then when the stewards enquiry alarm sounded, she said “The result of the photo is coming through now”, when it obviously wasn’t.
Five people on duty and maybe only one of them (Baker) up to the job. Oli Bell was clearly unwell and should have called in sick.
At least it was only a small Wednesday night meeting at Kempton but it wasn’t RTV’s finest half hour. It was unfortunate because the three incidents in the two races would have tested the skill of an experienced presenter, never mind one on something like her second or third presenting assignment.