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Great photos and video on the Opening Show of Black Corton and Bryony Frost on Dartmoor and also Kevin Blake’s mare foaling. Also had a look at Alice Plunkett’s video of Blackbow’s showy-offy dressage-worthy trot down to the exercise area yesterday morning that they talked about. I like all that behind the scenes stuff.
Matt makes racing interesting. Just about all the others just repeat the same old biases and form lines. I like Kevin Blake but he can be just as annoying as Matt imho and goes long stretches without tipping winners.
Matt loves the game, which shines through and his adoration of the machine was just brilliant tv when he came back and won in Ireland.
His stuff with Nicholls is hysterical and I’m sure the get on off screen. It will be a sad day for racing when he’s not there.He literally does not care what any individual thinks of him
I would actually disagree with that – I wrote a very critical article about him once and he was very quickly in touch – he took it very personally.
Matt really frustrates me because he is actually a very good racing journalist and interviewer – when he isn’t playing the fool. In my view he just totally undermines his real potential by acting the fool – but he’s now become typecast, no doubt the ITV production team, as the production teams did with Big Mac, encourage this persona to make him into the bogey man.
There’s nothing wrong with some levity but he just goes OTT and the trouble is, when he does get serious about an issue there’s less chance of him being taken seriously – he is his own worse enemy.
I have to say this is the first year I’ve been in the UK and not attended the festival or watched a race on TV.
I have only a passing interest in the sport now so it doesn’t justify paying to watch a subscription service and I’m afraid the ITV coverage is just unwatchable – I’ve been following a couple of races on Five Live Sports Extra with John Hunt’s commentary.
Agree above; he can be and is a knowledgeable journalist – but for some reason can come across as the ‘clown’. I imagine that is a decision from the producers to add something slightly ‘edgey’ to the programme. It’s not needed.
I agree about Matt Paul. I think he does a lot of his best work behind the desk at SSR.
I’ve actually taped the Radio commentary and was really disappointed with it. You’d think as their audience are unable to see the races that Hunt would want to keep everyone informed with the horses positions throughout the races but he does the opposite. Honeysuckle was hardly mentioned until the end of the Champion.
The coverage of Cheltenham by ITV racing has been abysmal.
Too many presenters, appalling camera work, you need a pair of binoculars to see the runners, terrible social stable rubbish and most of all no or minimal shots of horses prior to the race. If I didn’t have an app I would not know idea what was happening, and they are aiming to get new racing viewers.
The normal Saturday coverage is better, what is it about Cheltenham that makes it go to pieces? I have been watching some of the races from Sky in between the lengthy fillers and the camera work at little tracks like Fakenham are at excellent compared with Cheltenham. Also Matt Chapman is really good when he is on Sky, he could be two separate people.I like the idea of the 70’s theme tune.
Too many presenters, but Luke must stay for the N.H. racing.
Don’t see where the Cumani girl fits in. Royal Ascot perhaps
wearing a big hat.Ed Chamberlin said when it was De Bromhead 6 Mullins 4 that De Bromhead has sewn up top trainer. There was still 3 races still left. Haha.
Me too befair, for all it was far from faultless. Showing some mocked up highlights instead of allowing proper time for Blackmore’s trophy presentation today was an error. Camerawork was dreadful. However, I understand there were Covid restrictions which may have cause many of the problems (not the misted-up lens of the camera covering the overview of the paddock though…). Agree with those who say too many presenters. Too many ex-jockeys too, leading to excessive back-slapping and analysis of winning (though never losing) rides. Almost as if the horses, and often even the trainers, aren’t significant (not counting Blackmore coverage in this as it she IS a big story this year). I was rolling my eyes and heading to the kettle when they started the “ice-bath” forfeit but actually admit to sticking with it and laughing out loud when Bell received his punishment.
“Don’t see where the Cumani girl fits in. Royal Ascot perhaps
wearing a big hat.”And lots of gaffer tape around her mouth.
I thought it was OK in general. Ed still harking back to the Golden Hour on occasion but at least they didn’t get too hung up on the narrative they wanted and went with the flow a bit (although Tiger won for Ed so that probably kept him happy plus female jockey superstar).
Yes, agree the ‘narrative’ creation before the event was kept in check and they, more or less, went with the unfolding narrative which, as is usual, was much more powerful.
I really enjoyed the ‘wrap-up’ thing they did on social media tonight – sponsored by Glenfarclas. Chris Hughes was good on it and Ed Chamberlin was a bit more relaxed than he usually appears. Keven Blake brilliant on it too with his chair, shamrock and jelly babies.
Hughes interviewed Rachael Blackmore and asked her, among other things, what her last meal would be. ‘A potato that lasts for ever in your stomach’ was her answer… Not what I was expecting her to say to be fair.Cormack15
Having posted on this thread several times in the past I don’t believe people wish me to repeat myself.
However I do have one point I’ve not mentioned previously.
Although I applaud the idea of using the coverage of trying to attract more people to racing and the racecourse I’m left wondering how many making their first visit will be disappointed as they find it nothing like they would see as viewers?
Just a thought.
good luck to allThe coverage was so much better than I feared it would be.
Of course, in addition to having low expectations, having all four broadcasts on MUTE from start to finish – and not watching The Opening Show at all! – helped.
I was spared having a shower of mostly know-nothings large enough to form a football team being in my ear all week.
Mercifully, the camera work was free of the aerial blimps, moving cameras and zoom ins which make me want to lob a brick at the screen and, of course, I didn’t have to listen to Piers Morgan, who was wheeled out to do a ratings-grabbing hatchet job as ITV reminded us they are an independent broadcaster and NOT some sort of nodding-dog PR cheerleader for the racing industry.
I was also spared Kevin Blake wittering on about why the Irish are allegedly better horsemen when the real answer is that the Irish currency of choice – the Euro not the old Punt – is strong against Sterling nowadays so the boot is on the other foot and all the best Irish Point winners and NH Stores stay in Ireland nowadays.
The British were never better in than the Irish back in the day and the Irish aren’t better than the British now – it’s all down to the long-term effects of exchange rates.
Economics rules the world.
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