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Much of the problem with racing journalism is the shibboleth that participants are exempt from any analysis that verges towards criticism.
Until this mould is broken, it’ll always be a bit beige because all information has to be presented at face value.
Football doesn’t work like that. Ex players are willing to offer fair critiques of current performances. What is it with racing?
I think the issue in racing is the old pals act between current and ex-jockeys. These guys work / compete with each other pretty much every day of the year, they see each other as part of the same "team". For a jockey to retire and then start criticising his pals for indifferent rides, he would need a pretty thick skin.
The old pals act then translates to most other journalists who are loathe to be controversial about tactics, trainer form, horse placement etc.
Football is a bigger industry…the likes of Gary Neville are paid to be critical and thought provoking…and they don’t have the issue of seeing their pals at the racetrack most days of the week.
Fat Al Down is a tedious windbag, who never uses one word when 94 will do. Other than a retrograde misty-eyed nostalgia, he doesn’t add anything to the proceedings. At least Big Mac had an opinion.
If saying that makes me vile, then I will take that as a compliment.
The main problem is that if you’re a fan of racing – unlike just about any other sport you care to name – you really aren’t allowed to be critical. Think a jockey rode poorly? Stop being am armchair jockey. Think a trainer hasn’t got the horse ready for the race? You don’t know what you’re talking about. Think the owner is entering a horse into the wrong races? It’s their horse.
As I know myself, even saying a horse is a bit rubbish leaves you open to accusations of being the sort of scumbag who thinks animals being injured is funny.
Until racing journalism (led by the Racing Post, RUK, ATR and, sadly, Channel Four Racing) gets out of this mindset (and we get rid of some punters snobbery), this sorry state of affairs isn’t going to change.
Twitter=@PGHenn
So don't run, just like the others always do
The Channel 4 coverage is undoubtedly slicker and arguably more professional than under Highflyer but Andrew Franklin is right that it has lost its sparkle and the element of fun it sometimes had.
Lots of people, including me, used to get exasperated about the antics of McCririck, Tommo and John Francome but at least, looking back, it was often entertaining, if not necessarily for the right reasons.
Tommo, with his messing about, cringeworthy jokes and Alan Partridge buffoonery, at least brought a smile to your face, often though, it has to be said, in sheer embarrassment and disbelief.
My girlfriend, as someone with no interest in horse racing apart from humouring me, actually used to enjoy watching the Morning Line when Tommo was on. She used to find him entertaining but I wouldn’t insult her or anyone else by asking her to sit through the current insipid incarnation.
Francome used to annoy me but at least he had a sense of humour. Jim McGrath has been better in the new line-up without Francome, ironically, and he is now much improved as a pundit without laughing uncontrollably at everything Francome said.
I don’t know why they got rid of Mike Cattermole as he was a very good presenter and Alastair Down, with his enthusiasm and skills as a wordsmith, was a valuable member of the team, even though he does overdo the purple prose and the saccharine nostalgia.
McCririck had become very trembling and bumbling towards the end of his Channel 4 appearances and I don’t miss him but at least he was a character, however loathsome at times. Tanya Stevenson remains the tongue-tied, shambolic, amateurish joke she has always been.
Overall, the new programmes are more authoritative and less chaotic but they have somehow lost their soul. The light-hearted fun element has gone and I’m left puzzling sometimes why the programmes are just not as enjoyable to watch as they used to be, warts and all, in the old days.
It’s very simple. It needs more controversy, conflict and/or humour. It isn’t rocket science.
I genuinely believe that those saying how much better the show was in the days of Thommo, Mac, Francome, Down etc are really remembering the show from 10+ years ago.
The later years of the old format were dire. McCririck was bumbling incoherently, Francome sounded bored with the whole thing and Down was unwell (and not just in the Jeffrey Barnard sense). The show had become riddled with catchphrases and cliches, a lazy pastiche of what it was. Sort of Top Gear-does-horseracing.
[….]
Personally, I like the new format. It talks about, y’know, horseracing. It is more straightlaced than previously, more serious for sure. It’s clearly leaking viewers but I can’t believe this would be reversed by reintroducing the aged staff of previous incarnations. Go with
[…]
Hislop perhaps, but in the fullness of time nothing is going to keep live sport on terrestrial television anyway.
This, basically. And much of Ian’s previous posts also.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
I agree with Mike (Betlarge) too.
Channel 4 Racing is a better product now than it used to be. Better analysis (with Cunningham and without Francome) and not so much input from the ring. It’s sad we don’t have Alistair Down, but that’s probably due to health reasons. Nick Luck is excellent as a presenter, shame Clare Balding has given up, but she’s got other fish… Replace her with Hislop if she’s willing (doubt it)? Would like more from the under-used Hoiles, in analysis as well as commentary. Don’t see much ex-jockeys add to proceedings, but each to his own and Mick Fitz is ok as ex-jocks go. Wouldn’t be surprised if Dettori joins the team once hanging up his boots.
Although I love RUK, rather watch C4 when the former are at too many racecourses. Don’t much care for ATR format.
Unlike in the supposed glory days of C4, when we’d wait with baited breath all week to see our beloved sole racing programme… We now have Two racing channels to compare today’s C4, its bound to dull our senses a bit. Would nostalgia for the old C4 be the same if we’d had RUK and ATR in their day? How much is C4 Racing’s audience numbers a result of popular racing channels?
Value Is EverythingThe way TV is these days, you feel that if you had a program on Saturday night, with cardboard horses on some mechanical track forming a game where members of the public could win a million quid jackpot based on how many mind numbingly easy questions they could answer in order to let some celebrity turn a wheel to drive their horsey along, you would have a ratings winner on your hands. As long as the program was presented by Ant and Dec of course. All you would need is a catchy title. "The Million Pound Horse Dropping"?
Hellfire Steve, I’d protect the rights to this little idea. I can just see some ITV producer reading this and before we know it we have the very thing on our screens before the next series of X-Factor kicks off
Much as Thommo can grate, and is almost a characature of himself, he’s showing his worth for ATR today at Plumpton. He’s done a tour of the course, spoken to just about every employee, clerk of the course, trainers, owners, jockeys, jockey’s kids! He’s terrific for bringing run of the mill racing to life.
Slightly off topic but does anyone remember when C4 used to bring out a monthly racing magazine ? I think they only did about eight, I’ve got them all somewhere.
The way TV is these days, you feel that if you had a program on Saturday night, with cardboard horses on some mechanical track forming a game where members of the public could win a million quid jackpot based on how many mind numbingly easy questions they could answer in order to let some celebrity turn a wheel to drive their horsey along, you would have a ratings winner on your hands. As long as the program was presented by Ant and Dec of course. All you would need is a catchy title. "The Million Pound Horse Dropping"?
Hellfire Steve, I’d protect the rights to this little idea. I can just see some ITV producer reading this and before we know it we have the very thing on our screens before the next series of X-Factor kicks off
I suppose you should be careful when suggesting something in jest, just in case it actually emerges in reality.
I’ve patented the formula just in case and it’s now called:-
"Ant and Dec’s Strictly On Saturday Night Million Pound Hee-Bee Gee-Gees On Ice All Weather Dross Factor"
Guest presenter Ricky Lake will appear occasionally.
Thanks for the good crack. Time for me to move on. Be lucky.
For the second largest spectator sport in this country, it should be relatively easy to put together a programme to compliment the action. In fact the current formats are probably driving people away from the sport.
Like many programmes on TV, those that were first shown on BBC and moved over to other channels failed. The exception was Clare Balding on BBC racing where the chemistry there just didn’t work, even with her trainer brother connections.
There are too many things wrong with C4 racing (some now past but haven’t helped) and here’s a few.
Clare Balding, left a legacy of decline both on BBC and C4.
Rishi P, as above.
Mick Fitzgerald – should present in Ireland.
Interviews, interviews, interviews.
It’s now boring.
Less people who are too word perfect and appear to be from the city.
Richard Hoiles – boring and doesn’t take a breath.
Nick LuckNeeds
Characters, characters – that’s why the previous programme pre CB and RP worked.
Humour.
Tommo
Mike CattermoleThere are less needs than the things wrong as it wouldn’t take too much to make a decent programme which was entertaining and watchable.
It needs someone with a different vision to produce the programme and take if forward.I hope Down doesn’t get any more TV time from Channel 4. His role, like that of Tom O’Ryan on Racing UK, seems to be that of the token old-timer with the slow delivery trotted out to spin cliches in obituaries and recaps.
It’s all rather stale and predictable. I even think these two detract from the people/horses/events they’re remembering with their wizened old sage acts now.
Typical of the vile and unpleasant comments from too many that populate this forum.
Bit of an OTT response to a perfectly reasonable criticism isn’t it?
Mike
The vile comments have been posted for many a year
"It’s a long time ago but I seem to remember laughing at a column he used to do in the Weekender.
Nowadays I just laugh at his wobbly head and manicured hair.
Not at all surprised at some of the stories – strikes me as one of the biggest snobs in racing. Certainly has few peers in the art of looking scruffy."
Still, at least The Young Fella did not suggest Down and O’Ryan should be euthanised.
Maybe it’s too early for me, but you are being sarcastic, right? Down is a past-it dullard with nothing to say.
Twitter=@PGHenn
So don't run, just like the others always do
Well that’s your opinion. To me, he’s a skilled wordsmith who adds to the emotion of big events like the Festival. I wouldn’t want him on tv every week, but he has his place imo.
Still, at least The Young Fella did not suggest Down and O’Ryan should be euthanised.
I think that might be just the teensy-weensiest bit of a straw man argument, wouldn’t you say?
Mike
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