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We all have our individual likes and dislikes and it’s a struggle for me with commentators as Peter O’Sullevan as I remember him in his hey day in the 1970s (when I was in my teens) sets the bar.
But YouTube footage reminds me that O’Sullevan had his share of tongue-tied moments and even mistakes and tbh Simon Holt (who I consider the best or – perhaps more accurately – the least annoying of the modern commentators) and Richard Hoiles (eternal over enthusiastic schoolboy that he is) are both probably more technically proficient.
It’s all down to taste, but I’d keep Hoiles, get Holt back on terrestrial and release the mind-numbingly overdramatic Mark Johnston, who assaulted my ear drums all afternoon at Epsom Downs today.
Francesca Cumani is just an embarrassment, Ed Chamberlin is so bland he makes Brough Scott in the 1970/80s look positively cutting edge, Jason Weaver sounds like a broken record nowadays and, let’s be honest, The Social Stable lads – plus whoever dreamed up this monstrous segment in the first place – should be facing a firing squad at dawn.
However, though being an ITV Racing mute button merchant I cannot comment because I’ve never heard a word from him, I am often told Ruby Walsh is worth listening to.
That said, some of the same people rate Kevin Blake, who has yet to say a single thing I didn’t already know.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Does anyone know why Hislop was let go by C4?
I would definitely have her on ITV along with Holt. Ruby is fast becoming as good a pundit as he was a jockey.
I’ve always enjoyed Chapman most behind the SSR desk.
Good call, TTC, but I think Lydia Hislop wouldn’t compromise one iota on how she thinks racing should be covered.
I suspect she considered BBC racing under Clare Balding to be too dumbed down and that’s why she walked away from what was surely a better paid job to go back to a niche specialist racing channel instead.
She’s the only racing media person I can think of who ever put principle ahead of money in that way tbh.
Though he had no say in the matter but in otherwise similar vein, I’d say Nick Luck is Group 1 serious racing anchorman material and makes light weight Ed Chamberlin look like a selling plater.
But, like Holt, he never got an offer from ITV simply because they wanted change from C4 Racing in key areas.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Does anyone know why Hislop was let go by C4?”
Lydia Hislop was never on C4 Racing, was she?
She walked away from her job at the BBC because she preferred being on a specialist racing channel.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Lydia was on the Morning Line for a while several years ago. I have vague recollections of her appearing on the main coverage but she must have done.
Ah, ok, thanks.
Tbh, I wasn’t much of a fan of C4 Racing generally either and never watched The Morning Line.
It was C4 Racing that introduced the zoom in on any horse that went a couple of lengths clear after jumping the last or entering the final furlong, meaning you lost all perspective on what they were beating and by how far.
By then John McCririck had become a caricature of himself, they all seemed very smug and pleased with themselves and I found the whole thing nauseating.
I’m obviously a very tough audience to please!
Traditional pictures of the live races on the specialist racing channels on mute is all I want, really.
Makes it a bit of an ordeal having that mindset when actually at the races, though!
I can’t mute the tannoy there.
I shuddered when I realised Mark Johnson was commentating at Epsom yesterday.
I knew he was going to do my head in all afternoon and I wasn’t wrong.
I wonder if you can buy Racing ear plugs anywhere?
Maybe in a branded nice classic racing green?!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“By then John McCririck had become a caricature of himself, they all seemed very smug and pleased with themselves and I found the whole thing nauseating.”
Agree. It got to the point where all the matey banter on The Morning Line became annoying. Like listening into a private joke. All that calling themselves by nicknames did not help (Mac, Jimbo, Thommo, Greatest etc). And I am sure Mccririck’s habit of referring to Tanya Stevenson as “The Female” did not endear him to the new C4 regime and was a factor in him being sacked. Can you imagine today’s C4 even allowing such sexist talk (even if it was in jest) to be broadcast?
I like Chapman on SSR. He speaks his mind. I do not always agree with him (like at Yarmouth on Sunday) but I would rather someone give an opinion than not at all. From what I have seen of him on ITV, it looks like he is trying a bit too hard.
Ruby really is extraordinarily good, Ian. He previewed one chase last winter and suggested the odds-on favourite might have an issue because of the way he’d changed his legs approaching several fences last time out, a point he backed up with video. I’d never seen a piece of analysis like it. Sure enough, the favourite duly got turned over.
I watch virtually none of the content between races on ITV but I will in the winter if Ruby’s on.
One of my biggest beefs is the sheer number of workforce in presenters ITV have. How many do you really need?
More presenters mean more chat, does this really mean to cover their three hours coverage means they need help in filling that time?
That’s why I preferred racing on programmes like Grandstand or World of Sport. Certainly never felt there wasn’t enough pre race coverage on these.
Perhaps for the purists that’s why racing is probably best on subscription channels. I do appreciate some like to talk racing 24/7.
But for terrestrial TV, trying to ‘entertain’ an audience made up of ‘casuals’ for three hours is too difficult to get right. Just throwing as many bodies as it as you can in a dozen presenters seems to be sharing the responsibility. Perhaps ITV know its too long! But it’s also a space filler in schedule’s they have to fill.
I am not sure what you would mix racing up with if you ran a shared programme with something else. It would need a chemistry of sorts.
“It would need a chemistry of sorts.“
The Nobel Prizes include one for chemistry. They should have Chapman as host and Rishi doing the interviews.
Quality, Gladiateur – you’ve got me chuckling there.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I just don’t understand some of these comments. We have people on a horseracing forum (and who I presume therefore like horseracing) who think there is too much mainstream TV coverage, and would prefer that the coverage is interspersed with other things!
I agree ITV have been trying out quite a few different presenters over the past year or two, but again don’t understand why this provokes such strong reactions.
Yes, there are aspects of the coverage that could be improved, but they do a lot right with the more generalist audience they need to cater for in mind.
Aye Marlingford, some of this is bonkers. ID – I like the cut of your general jib, but I’m not sure the opinion of someone who just wants to watch everything on mute is particularly relevant to this thread!
BUY THE SUN
Differing opinions make the game, the market, and the forum.
I could say I’m equally surprised by the support for ITV Racing, but actually I’m not as it takes all sorts.
Pre SIS, punters were grateful for any televised racing at all.
But nowadays, with RacingTV, ATR and the ability to watch any race via a betting site on your smart phone, punters don’t need to be quite so grateful.
So many they are more critical.
I think ITV Racing is ok – so long as you mute it!
I generally have it on in the background while I focus on the racing and betting on my iPhone but usually watch the ITV7 races on the telly.
But I wouldn’t miss it if it disappeared – I can watch all the races on other platforms.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"As I see it, racing needs an ongoing stream of new people to be drawn into the sport to ensure that money continues to flow in i.e. to help ensure competitive and quality racing and strong and varied betting markets.
Even in this day and age, I believe TV coverage on one of the “main” channels significantly helps with this.
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