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Last year RUK hired a black guy who worked as a pundit. He isn’t on anymore?
Anyone know who I mean. I used to see him at jumps meetings for years before he turned up on RUK.
Any idea what has happened to him?
I think that is him.
As I said, he was a "face" at jumps meetings for years, with his flat cap.
When he turned up on RUK I couldn’t believe it.
He is a nice guy. Has he always been a journo? How come RUK dont use him anymore?
But clearly not for RUK? I dont think he was any less capable than the pundits they use these days.
BTW he isnt anything to do with Furlongtogo is he?
I was talking to him at Chepstow at the end of last year.
He is still available for gigs with RUK, but works on a regular basis for Billy Hills radio and has difficulty fitting into the RUK roster.
Colin
Fair enough. I dont know him other than by sight, but through he was a breath of fresh air to the racing broadcasting world.
Dare I say a world where their allocation of ethnic minorities is pretty poor!
Dare I say a world where their allocation of ethnic minorities is pretty poor!
That does not mean anyone should go out of their way to find any. The same with women broadcasters. Ideally everyone should be there on merit.
The number of black racegoers is very small so it is hardly surprising the lack of broadcasters.
Rishi Persad is a joke but then again so is Zoe Bird.Personally I couldn’t care about the colour,gender or sexual orientation of a pundit as long as they are good at their job.
I thought the bloke was absolutely useless, and in my view the only thing that got him on the tv talking about horse racing was his black face.
Mr Pitterson,s speciality is by the paddock , trying to find winners of races
based on its conformation , appearance etc..He seems to know his stuff but I suppose he’d have to be on a lot more
often , especially in the bigger races at bigger meetings to measure
the value of his opinions .Talking of RUK pundits what happened to Peter Harris , ex
jockey agent , a rolypoly gentleman from South Wales who does not go
in for bland platitudes and is not one of the stuffy squad . I used to enjoy his appearances , usually at Salisbury .I think he may have fallen foul of Angus McNae . Harris turned up
one warm day to share the punditry with McNae who was
obviously displeased that Harris had turned up in a t-shirt , not
shirt and tie . It’s obviously more important what you wear than what
you say .Now he is no longer on RUK , South Wales seems to have no
representative in the racing TV media !.I thought the bloke was absolutely useless, and in my view the only thing that got him on the tv talking about horse racing was his black face.
I couldn’t agree less. Each pundit on RUK and ATR brings their own particular strengths to bear on the channel – with some it is literal interpretation of the formbook, with others private handicapping (I think Steve Mellish trusts his own juvenile hurdle figures above anyone else’s, doesn’t he?), and in Ken’s case – as Bimble mentioned – it is the physical conformation and race-readiness of horses.
Ken is simply part of the broad spectrum of different ways RUK invites the viewer to judge a horse race and its protagonists. Conformation wouldn’t rate as everyone’s prefered angle into a race, but to me he has proven a more useful aid than most on the specialist channels in this regard, and would still have proven as much if he had three eyes, green skin and a fang.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Talking of RUK pundits what happened to Peter Harris , ex
jockey agent , a rolypoly gentleman from South Wales who does not go
in for bland platitudes and is not one of the stuffy squad . I used to enjoy his appearances , usually at Salisbury .I think he may have fallen foul of Angus McNae . Harris turned up
one warm day to share the punditry with McNae who was
obviously displeased that Harris had turned up in a t-shirt , not
shirt and tieI remember seeing that meeting. I think it was one of the evening ones at the Wiltshire venue, but it was still punishingly hot and sultry. I wouldn’t presume to speak for Mr McNae on the matter of attire, but I’d certainly suggest that practicality and comfort in one’s attire would have counted for more on that occasion (especially at an unpretentious, relaxed, minor evening meeting).
It is noted, incidentally, that the same presenter was bearing as much chest as What Difference Does it Make-era Morrissey during RUK’s half-term review earlier this week – presumably the daffodils and hearing aid will follow shortly.
It would be a shame if Peter Harris is not being utilised again this year, as he was a fearless enough speaker, as you mentioned. I wouldn’t write off the chances of him reappearing until the Flat season is in full cry, though.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
The number of black racegoers is very small so it is hardly surprising the lack of broadcasters.
I think there is a danger in assuming that the physical representation on the racecourse of certain ethnic groups accurately represents the degree of interest in racing of those groups.
Black, Asian and – in particular – Chinese people certainly abound in many bookmakers (all of the ones I have frequented in Birmingham and currently Herts and Bucks, for sure); and for all anyone can tell at this remove the take-up of RUK subscriptions, volume of transactions placed on horse racing on Betfair, etc., may also betray a broader ethnic spread.
In the light of all of which, a raft of presenters representative of the likely audience does not seem especially tokenistic or objectionable to me.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I am trying hard not to mention the very likeable Rishi Persad at this point.
How about the raft of female presenters, Jeremy, do you think that reflects the number of females that frequent betting shops and have Racing UK subscriptions?
Colin
The composition of the racing channels’ line-ups may have proactive as well as reactive elements to them, Colin. I suppose one argument would be that the use of as many female presenters is intended as a means to attract more women to the sport, rather than an effort to represent – and consolidate – the current audience proportionately (there may be people better placed than myself on here who can comment on whether that has worked or not).
That wouldn’t be my argument, though, and I’m entirely happy with more or less all of those that do appear on our screens.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I would have no problem with women on the racing programmes, or other sports channels, if I thought they were there on merit and not just because they are women.
This is going to sound and look sycophantic but who, with the exception of "OUR" Lydia, of the raft of female presenters, would you miss if they never appeared on your screens again?
Ms. Balding has a lot of supporters but I’m not fussed on her way of talking down (don’t use her little Willie as an excuse) to us.
Colin
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