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“I nearly came to blows with the guy at an event a few years ago.”
Blimey! Fair enough!
Tbh, I can’t ever remember meeting him – he worked from home and the track and I was on the racing desk and spoke to him on the phone most days 1996-2001.
I guess what I like about Wood and Cook as writers is that they will challenge the establishment, but then that’s a lot easier to do if you work for The Guardian than if you’re at the Racing Post.
In my six years at the Racing Post previously I witnessed a paper (and frankly many of its staff) who lived up various backsides: principally it’s then owner, Sheikh Mohammed, and its main advertisers – both bookmakers and bloodstock.
It’s hands were tied on issues across the whole spectrum of the racing and betting industries.
So after that I found the independent writing style of Wood a positively refreshing change.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"As someone who doesn’t read the Grauniad, but always looked at it’s racing column online, I was genuinely devastated by this news.
I don’t want to harp on too long, but racing needs journalists like Chris Cook – people who side with punters over bookies and who aren’t afraid to question and critique trainers, jockeys, owners, and the racing establishment.
You get nothing but supplication and sycophancy from the Racing Post (that dreadful “jockey in the stands” column from about 10 years ago STILL sticks in the craw), but you got proper public interest journalism from Chris Cook. I really hope he stays in journalism and stays out of the trade press.
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
Well said – while they might pay him quite well, the worst thing that could happen for readers would be for Chris Cook to join the Racing Post.
They would claim he had a free hand, but no way would he have the editorial freedom he enjoyed at The Guardian.
The Racing Post has behaved as if the Princess Latifa issue isn’t happening, they won’t ever criticise the big bookmakers, anyone who provides them with advertising revenue is untouchable.
The ONLY really good thing about the Racing Post IMO is it’s database for cards and form.
And as for writers who can add value – David Ashforth skilfully manages to entertain without offending his paymasters and John Randall is a rock for any subject needing historical perspective bringing to it.
I wouldn’t wrap a bag of chips in the rest of it, however.
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I think the youngsters at the Racing Post need support and encouragement. It’s insipid and lightweight at times (a symptom of the way the paper has gone) but I hope the likes of Maddy Playle and Kitty Trice in particular are getting some benefit from the dying embers.
I predict the RP will be gone within two years so I think we need to look for whatever positives we can find. In spite of the last few years of the RP lightening its load, there is still a huge amount of utter dreck on its books. Their race analysts and tipster squad in particular are terribly lightweight and irrelevant versus what you see at Timeform, ATR or the Sporting Life.
But there are three or four in their early 20s who you’d like to think will make a proper mark in years to come. So I think everyone needs to lay off those individuals even if they aren’t quite ready yet – they’ll get there. There are plenty of 30-, 40- and older-somethings on the RP books producing substandard work much more deserving of criticism.
To be fair to the Post, it is not the only paper under the undue influence of its advertisers. A few years ago, Peter Oborne resigned from the Telegraph because it spiked a story so as not to upset a key advertiser. I doubt it is the only one.
He who pays the piper calls the tune.
That’s a very fair point.
The bottom line in the dying newspaper game is that if you can’t make a substantial dent in balancing the books off sales to readers, advertisers completely call the shots and that is probably more true now than ever.
The newspaper game is gone – many of my former colleagues got their redundancy notice years ago and those who survive will do well to last until retirement age.
IMO the RP was always top heavy with news and features anyway – it’s the cards, form and results that really sell the paper IMO.
But editorial executives never saw it that way – they just loved pretending to themselves it was a proper national newspaper.
Just as well they did, really – otherwise I would never have had six years salary out of them in the first place!
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
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https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Sure Chris will be back very soon but hard to see where in print given the scale of cutbacks. Wouldn’t think the Post could afford someone of his standing and doubt he would want to work somewhere where so many areas are off limits.
I suppose given how little space they get in the paper, sadly The Guardian bean counters were always going to say three people on the racing desk was too many. There is one national newspaper group producing seven papers, including pullouts, with roughly the same headcount.
Wonder if The Athletic would be interested in covering racing? They seem to be the only place left with deep pockets.“It’s insipid and lightweight at times (a symptom of the way the paper has gone)“
It’s not just the Racing Post; it’s society in general.
I have no idea what politics has to do with this. I’m sure many at The Graun would consider racing to be animal cruelty but you are allowed to have different views aired in the same newspaper, it’s called balance. For example, George Monbiot probably wouldn’t be seen dead on an aeroplane but they still have a travel section which, amongst other things, covers holidays that require flying.
I’d guess it’s probably more of a business decision than anything else. They know how many clicks their racing articles get. If having two full time racing journos is uneconomical them someone’s got to go. The fact is that racing really isn’t that popular these days, whatever attendance figures might say. I could leave my workplace at 5pm and make a 6pm evening meeting at a minimum of three different courses but of the 75 or so who work there, I doubt you could talk racing with more than about four of them.
Given the Guardians recent record with Chris witty and the much Brexit “news” I would trust them to be truthful about printed date on the front page
Agree with Cork all star. Wouldn’t touch a paper with that Owen Jones appearing although I take the Observer which has some very smart columnists
On another forum (where they were never going to read the jewish chronicle, thats for sure) and seemingly here too, plenty claimed to be “guardian Readers” which was ridiculous because the number totalled more than the papers actual circulation
George Monbiot probably wouldn’t be seen dead on an aeroplane
Yes, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us wouldn’t
Indeed. Probably why I made that very point in, er, the rest of the sentence that you selectively quoted.
Sad to see that the Rupert Murdoch fanboys and Daily Mail pilgrims are out to use a thread on a Racing forum, about a Racing journalist to attack their own generalisations about others’ political views.
Here’s hoping Chris Cook swiftly opens a new and interesting chapter in his career.
Sad to see someone assume that anyone who is critical of The Guardian must be a supporter of Murdoch or the Daily Mail.
I tend to operate on the principle espoused towards the prisoners by Mr McKay from “Porridge”: I regard them all with equal contempt.
I’m sure the eloquent Chris Cook will not be short of offers : he is one of the most knowledgeable racing journalists in the business .
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
plenty claimed to be “guardian Readers” which was ridiculous because the number totalled more than the papers actual circulation
For every one diehard who still buys the paper there’s thousands (including me) who read only the website, because unlike the rest it’s not behind a paywall. If it was I expect numbers would dwindle considerably. I once donated a handful in the hope it would stop the popups begging for donations; but it didn’t so I now just put up with them and refuse to donate another penny
The Graun is unlikely to ever cease publication as it’s propped up by the Scott Trust, with many of its millions reputed to be languishing in shady offshore jurisdictions such as the Caymans – oh the hypocritical irony
The Observer has two very decent hacks in Andrew Rawnsley and Will Hutton
If one reads these rags one should also read the antidote: Spiked, to whom I was happy to donate a pony
If one reads these rags one should also read the antidote: Spiked
“Why Gordon Elliott was right to behave the way he did”
by Brendan O’NeillMike
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