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Fitz also rejoicing in the sight of “senior” jockeys shouting at their perceived inferiors to knock them into shape at the start of the Welsh National too (with Tom Scudamore singled out for particular praise). Perhaps if there were a few professional officials present, with authority to instill some discipline on all riders, instead of just relying on bullying culture, they’d be able to start these big races without the frequent shambolic scenes.
“Perhaps if there were a few professional officials present, with authority to instill some discipline on all riders, instead of just relying on bullying culture, they’d be able to start these big races without the frequent shambolic scenes.”
Or they could employ starters who are less fussy and do not expect everyone to be lined up as if they are on Horseguards Parade.
Everything was facing the right way the second time. If the starter had let them go, it would have been no worse than when he did let them go after the ragged standing start.
I had to watch ITV today because my visitors left about five minutes after the Welsh National started, so I put on ITV4+1 to watch it as if it was live (and Shishkin’s race as well).
I thought the coverage was OK but could have done without Fitzgerald’s Cheerleader for Henderson routine. Not totally sure what Adele Mulrennan brings to the party either.
Mick Fitzgerald did me a good turn when winning the Grand National on Rough Quest (and he almost messed that up by needlessly hampering the runner up) but it’s been all downhill in the intervening 25 years.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Quite right there CAS, they’ll want starting stalls next. For heaven’s sake they still had 3m6f to travel.
Looking forward to some proper commentary from Leopardstown tomorrow rather than Hoiles just shouting at us.
Yes GSP, there is something particularly annoying about starters being fussy before races over marathon distances!
Wasn’t Rough Quest one that didn’t really like being in front – could idle quite badly, Ian?.
Allowing his horse to wander across the runner-up just made it far less likely Fitz would get beat had his horse idled.No way were the stewards going to overturn the result.
Good riding.imo.
Value Is Everything“Or they could employ starters who are less fussy and do not expect everyone to be lined up as if they are on Horseguards Parade”
Yes, that too
I thought ITV less poor than SSR today. SSR had one meeting to cover and had a ridiculous number of presenters. Alex Hammond and Jimbo McGrath, verbose standing at a table. Hayley Moore and Luke Harvey yapping to every connection they could muster and barely giving any time to seeing more than a selected horse or two in the parade ring. The great bonus of analysis from Jamie Lynch. Then some genius thought it a great time to show a recording of a discussion with Freddie Tylicki in the midst of it all. A shocker all round.
“The great bonus of analysis from Jamie Lynch.”
Another dreary analyst who thinks he’s a comedian. He’s Graham Cunningham 2.0, which is most definitely not a good thing.
Ah, I’m not alone then.
I’ve noticed those who praise journalists the most tend to be….other journalists.
All part of an “Aren’t We All Great?” Club.
Alastair Down is a literary genius (err, no he isn’t – Paul Hayward is on another level), Graham Cunningham is a cutting edge comedian (really? When does his act start, then?).
Racecard on screen, horses in paddock, betting shows, the actual race (with fixed cameras and no zoom ins so you can actually see what’s going on), a replay and a result on screen – it’s not exactly hard, but they make it so time and time again.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Well put, Colin.
I just think they try to reinvent the wheel too much.
The world has improved on so many levels – technological advances, medical advances, greater awareness of mental health, nutrition etc.
But not all change is progress.
Televised football coverage really hasn’t changed that much because the right template in terms of camera positions, interviews and punditry was arrived at years ago.
But Racing Broadcast Producers/Directors seem to be on a perpetual mission to tear up everything that went before and put their own (often clumsy) stamp on it.
I joke about the mute button but, honestly, televised racing has become an overstaffed on screen utter embarrassment.
Didn’t even switch on the TV yesterday – just watched all the races live on my phone, and even then some of the camera angles were annoying and robbed the viewer of all perspective on the race.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“Not totally sure what Adele Mulrennan brings to the party either”
She’s Chief Aftertimer – Doesn’t need sychophantic Ed Chamberlin to boost her ego after the race she does it herself.
Not sure she’s much of a paddock judge either. I’m far from an expert paddock judge but to my eyes Shiskin had a bit of a belly and would be much better for the run. According to Adele he was ready to run for his life. Good to hear Ken Pitterson concur exactly with my view of him in the paddock.
“Good to hear Ken Pitterson concur exactly with my view of him in the paddock.“
I wonder if Ken has ever been offered a more prominent role on the programme? I can remember reading his paddock notes in the Weekender many years ago and he speaks more sense than the rest of them put together.
I doubt if the programmes producer’s ever go out and seek feedback from the public on their ‘shows’. They probably think they have the successful blueprint, which does not actually appear to exist and probably never has done.
Like them or loathe them, my view is they try to throw as many people as they can into the programme to ‘share the burden’ of a 3 hour live show. There’s no confidence that just 3 presenters can carry it off over that length of time, whereas it wasn’t seen as too much of a problem in the distant past.
Sure with so many bodies we have enough analysis now, more than enough opinions a winner is usually picked because there are so many darn presenters on the show.
I think it’s down to the producer’s being a bit weak and scared of failure and the more bodies they can bring into a programme they can divert any blame.
The success of the programme should ultimately be on the viewing figures. How have they behaved over time on ITV?
But with an ever growing large cast of this racing show, nothing more than an increase in viewing figures should be seen as failure. They have to justify it.My gripe today as it often is will be is hearing Fitz’s voice where I am sure time and again he just says blarney, blarney, blarney, but I do love the bloke!
I also thought Shiskin looked a bit chunky Yeats and was surprised by Mulrennan’s comments. I am not sure I’d describe Chamberlain as sychophantic though. In fact him asking her to explain “carrying condition” directly after Ken Pitterson had contradicted her opinion sounded decidedly barbed to me. I would also like to hear more from Ken. Although there are already far too many presenters/commentators (Boxing Day was just ridiculous) he always keeps his comments brief & relevant. A breath of fresh air compared to some of the rambling nonsense we’re subjected to. I am sure the casual viewers are also more interested in what the horses actually look like and what it can tell you rather than details about sectional times etc too.
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