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Very sad to hear this news. He brought a sense of gravitas and was skilled at building up the big occasions during his time on Channel 4 Racing. I am glad he was able to attend to see the Press Room at Cheltenham named in his honour, a fitting tribute.
RIP Alastair Down
I recall him writing a typically heartfelt and wistful article some years ago – presumably in the RP – concerning a decision he’d made to give up the demon drink: essentially a sad and mercilessly self-aware mea culpa in which the now-prescient sentence “I’m not the sort to make old bones” or thereabouts appeared.
It was met with applause all round, though it would seem he jumped off the wagon after a shortish ride: a too-familiar occurence
His loss is the RP loss , a wonderful wordsmith , def believe ITV could have made use of him
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Alistair was the greatest wordsmith Racing has ever had. A flawed genius. Fitting tribute for the Press Room at Cheltenham to be named after him. Just hope a social event celebrating his life didn’t play a part in ending it.
Value Is EverythingI don’t think so Ginger, given that he once wrote after returning from Arc weekend:
“I just wish to be alone with my thoughts and sincere hopes that my liver, which I mailed home by separate refrigerated container, will arrive soon.”
Best of pull out in RP today , Biddlecome and Long Runs GC articles both fantastic pieces
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
Alastair’s articles were so engaging and beautifully-crafted with wonderful prose and humour. His reflective pieces at the end of Channel 4’s Cheltenham highlights were also a wonderful mix of fact, fiction and emotion. I remember after Istabraq’s first CH…… ‘Aidan phones the parish priest and tells him to get the builders in’ ! He will be sadly missed. RIP
Alastair Down’s control of the written and spoken word has always been an inspiration to me. As someone who enjoys eloquent turns of phrase and poignant storytelling; I often found myself trying to replicate Alastair’s tone and demeanour during my teenage/early twenties (I have since accepted that I am just a posh sounding northener).
We didn’t share like for like opinions (I for one still enjoy an annual re-watch of the 2001 Grand National), but the way Alastair formed his arguments and portrayed his view never made it feel like you were ever in the wrong for thinking left when he suggested right.
I was reminding myself of those names that occupied our screens every weekend on Channel 4 and it hit home just how well we had it. Friday was a truly sad day for the sport.
I write this in Odds On some time early in 2000:
One of the few pleasures offered by the current Racing post is the writing of Alastair Down. Shortly before Christmas, his colleagues once more elected him Horserace Writer of the Year. On what I’ve read, any other result would have been a turn-up of Norton’s Coin proportions.
During a rare visit to the pressroom at Goodwood last summer, I sat opposite Down for about 45 minutes as he worked on his report of Sussex Stakes day. What looked effortless on the page the next morning actually involved a good deal of sweat and toil in creation. During that short space of time, Down drank three cups of coffee, two coloured mixtures of uncertain content and chain-smoked. That mixture of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine clearly works for him, but as an asthmatic tea drinker with a low tolerance for spirits, ciearly my prose is never going to achieve
the same heights!But it was a relief to discover that a man who can regularly produce images that leave me amused, entertained (and envious), does at least have the decency to find it a bit of a struggle. His writing stands alone in the daily racing press, but perhaps the most endearing feature of the man is that he remains palpably one of us – a punter at heart who sees the game through a punter’s eyes
Quite a few things Alastair said stuck with me years later, probably more for his delivery of them than being among his finest moments.
In ’93 the only Cheltenham preview I ever attended the microphones failed to work, the panel bravely barking their thoughts. He suggested King Credo for the Champion Hurdle as the Steve Woodman was going up the Pulborough gallop ‘faster than anything Harwood’s got these days’. That it came a decent but probably unrewarding 4th had me smiling guessing how wry his reaction to the result may have been.
Occasional appearances on the ATR Forum programme were not him at his best but he came up with a gem when discussion turned to what Cue Card’s festival target in 2016. The Ryanair was the majority opinion but Alastair thought the Gold Cup. ‘The Bishops are NOT in their early thirties’ opined Al, delivered in a manner only he could.
Incidentally I think Alastair is the most recent example of a presenter/ reporter smoking on a piece to the camera, when at the Amato pub before the Derby. Other contenders would have been Jonathan Meades, Clarkson, and Katie Derham but I think Mr Down wins it.
A unique talent, grumpily good humoured and avuncular. Only 5 years my senior but always seemed like an uncle.
He was, without a doubt the standout broadcaster and writer of recent times. As Peter alludes to earlier in the thread, we really did have it so good with the classic Channel 4 team. A big loss
We were so fortunate with channel 4 racing. It was like watching knowledgeable mates discussing the racing. With big mac always interesting,francome very acute,mcgrath joining the party and down tieing the whole thing together. I messaged matt Chapman to ask why the Sunday forum was dropped and he said changing times. We certainly had it good. So miss the morning line and the Sunday forum.
Had he been ill? Hadn’t heard anything.
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