- This topic has 150 replies, 36 voices, and was last updated 5 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
1:29
“And the last of the runners is entering the stalls… but some team news from Wembley so it’s over to Mark Pougatch…”
“It is a sign of where racing stands in the sporting pecking order, at least as far as the media is concerned.”
Football is, and always will be, a far more popular sport than racing, which isn’t even considered a “sport” by many – more a business.
In fact, given the relative viewing figures over the course of a year, it could be argued racing is extremely fortunate to receive the TV coverage it does.
Tbh, the real victims here surely aren’t ITV Racing viewers at home, but racegoers who’ve paid up to three-figure prices to attend an event which has been shunted around, schedule wise, to fit in with a football match elsewhere.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a few demand a refund and who could blame them?
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Tbh, the real victims here surely aren’t ITV Racing viewers at home, but racegoers who’ve paid up to three-figure prices to attend an event which has been shunted around.”
Agree. Lots of people travelling from afar will have already booked trains in the expectation of racing starting around 2pm. Now the first race is 12.50pm with the Derby itself at 1.30pm. There is going to be a mad rush to get to the track.
Hospitality clients are not going to be pleased when the feature event is going to start around about the time they were expecting to look at the options for their main course.
And there will be 6 races after the Derby, when a lot of the crowd who go to Epsom on Derby Day are only interested in the main feature and leave once it is over. I wonder how many will be on track by the end?
All very good points, CAS, IMO.
I will still watch The Derby on my phone at home, relatively unaffected, but as a day out for racegoers I don’t think it would be overtly melodramatic to suggest it’s been more or less ruined already for many.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I attended every Derby between 2001 and 2015 and it was usually a great day out. But there are some circumstances when it does not work, at least as far as media interest is concerned. Plenty of other sport takes place the same day and football will always win.
On balance, I think the “Derby should have stayed on a Wednesday” school of thought is probably right. At least there were no other distractions. Trying to get attention on a packed Saturday is too difficult.
As has been said on this thread, whether we like it or not the Derby is not that important in the national sporting consciousness any more. Most of the public would probably struggle to name a Derby winner.
It is not even that important in racing, with so many other prestigious races both here and abroad. The race’s profile has been helped by Coolmore and all their Montjeus and Galileos. But with those two sires both gone and more and more breeding for speed, the future for the Derby is arguably not promising. Will Coolmore even treat it as a priority?
As I’ve said time and time again – to the annoyance of those in perpetual denial about it – unless The Derby winner triumphed in the 2,000 Guineas beforehand, the pressure is on after Epsom to secure that Group 1 win somewhere at 1m2f to maximise stud value in the modern world.
Gone are the days of taking the Irish Derby and the King George route – the Eclipse and the International Stakes are better targets for optimising stud value.
The obvious logical thing to do would get to reduce The Derby to 1m2f, but I think it will be a long time before racing accepts this.
I write this as someone who loves The Derby as it is, misses the Great Metropolitan Handicap being over 2m2f across The Downs and a host of other lost past traditions.
But I know reality when I see it.
The Derby has never been “The greatest Flat race in the world” – it’s confined to 3yos so obviously not – and it’s no longer run over the most competitive distance either.
And this year it’s being squeezed in at lunchtime to accommodate a football match the other side of the river!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Ian you cannot change the distance of the derby. That is sacrosanct..
Everyone knows it is a five furlong sprint.Just plain daft to run an event such as the derby at such an early time.
How utterly stupid are they going to look when the fa cup final kick off time is moved again?
It is about ITV who I assume are screening the match, there is no clash of events.
BHA should tell itv to do one. Lost control unfortunately.
Actually I’ll tell them.
ITV do one.‘Tbh, the real victims here surely aren’t ITV Racing viewers at home, but racegoers who’ve paid up to three-figure prices to attend an event which has been shunted around, schedule wise, to fit in with a football match elsewhere.’
It’s great for TV viewers. I’d happily have it at 2.30 or even 2.45 but given ITV’s commitment to provide both inane post-race interviews and meaningless pre-match waffle I realise that can’t happen. Do think they could have made it 2pm though, that still gives at least 45 clear minutes before the match but we are where we are and it won’t be altering.
It is particularly unfortunate because the Derby had one, perhaps two, features this year which might have generated more interest.
Firstly, it is Frankie Dettori’s last Derby. He is about the only Flat jockey the wider public know about. His chance to win one last Derby might have helped to generate more media interest.
Secondly, if Auguste Rodin wins the Guineas – and the market suggests he is the Ballydoyle number one – it would add an extra angle to the race.
But a 1.30pm start does not help the television coverage. Lots of people will be out at that time, especially if the weather is good.
“BHA should tell ITV to do one.”
That would be a crazy thing to do, like a jockey who has been jocked off telling a trainer where to go.
As ID said, racing is probably fortunate to get the amount of terrestrial coverage on one of the two main channels that it does. I am sure ITV could generate just as much advertising revenue showing the usual daytime fare.
It is not great having the Derby at 1.30pm but it is the least worst option in a highly unusual set of circumstances. Racing will just have to take this one on the chin this year.
Not really Cas.
Telling “them to do one” consists of pointing out the logistics of moving the main event on your card to such a ridiculously early time.
It also consists of standing your ground and saying “non” in the first place
The other races will not have an audience for one and the derby audience will encounter difficulties arriving on time.
We are going to start this meeting with the main event. Hope you folks can stick around for the rest of the card.
Grand prix, rugby league cup finals, tennis all happen at the same time and no one worries.
ITV have multi channels but don’t want to lose a share of an audience with a clash. Most football fans watching the cup final will NOT watch the racing as well. The derby has raced midweek the clash is only in the minds of bean counters.‘As ID said, racing is probably fortunate to get the amount of terrestrial coverage on one of the two main channels that it does.’
Absolutely. As I have said before, what other sport gets the live Saturday afternoon free to air coverage that racing does? Most sports would love that kind of exposure, as I’m sure would fans who have to pay various subscriptions to see their sport(s) of choice.
When I say it’s good for TV viewers I probably meant those who like myself will happily plan their day around TV sport viewing if they so choose.
I do wonder if they could have done full coverage on ITV4 with ITV1 literally just cutting to the race as they are loading and hold it 20 minutes or so before the football, I’m sure it could have been spun in a positive way but again too late for all that now, there wasn’t much notice. It is only a one off.
“It also consists of standing your ground and saying “non” in the first place.”
Which would antagonise ITV and make it less enthusiastic about showing racing at all. Not convinced that is a good strategy. I doubt many of the ITV top brass are particularly interested in racing and would happily drop it. They only show it now because bookmakers in effect pay for it.
It is quite irrelevant what I think about the scheduling of the cazoo yahoo derby or whoever is sponsoring it, no it is the ITV derby.
The thing is no one asked the punters (who have splashed out thousands of pounds in some cases) to attend the event. It is the Frankie Derby and the spin off is a thousand contracts and itv cooking shows, loose women appearances, road trips with Gordon and Gino, so it all has to be managed and tailored in with the cup final and the social stable platform.
So if someone has already ok’d it with Frankie’s people that is the area I forgot about, so it is fine.
You’ll be pleased to know that is my final take on the matter because it gives the Derby a permanent position in the hearts and minds of the viewing public as a sporting jewel.Any refusal to co operate that costs ITV advertising revenue and lessens the value to them of the overall racing contract will make ITV less likely to want to renew it when the current contract expires.
ITV pay a lot of money to screen The Derby, ITV also pay a lot of money to screen the FA Cup Final, ITV don’t want either tucked away on low-revenue ITV4.
So if they clash one needs to shift and as football is the bigger event it’s The Derby on the move.
Simple as that – it’s business.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Absolutely. What is more attractive to ITV’s advertisers? A football match featuring two of the biggest clubs in English football. Or a horse race of declining importance featuring horses and jockeys which (with one exception) the majority of the public have never heard of?
As much as we all like racing and as unsatisfactory as a 1.30pm start is, racing has zero room for manoeuvre here. It will just have to make the best of it.
Imo it’s dumb they accommodate other sports and move the racing time like this. Racing fans will watch it and vast majority of non-racing fans won’t regardless of time. So what is the point? Put it on ITV3 or ITV4 like they have done before with other meetings and keep the schedule.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.