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Thing is most punters will have their money on before the programme goes on air. At the racecourse it is different, maybe with the Internet you can quickly make a be during the live coverage.
I think that everyone would gain from seeing the horses in the paddock. This would put horses at the centre where they should be & may go some way in engaging new watchers Channel 4 seem the best at this, but I was very disappointed they didn’t manage to do this for all the Cheltenham races. Their coverage of Cheltenham was poor this year. They do not seem good at rising to the occasion, & this doesn’t bode well for the Grand National.If the producers are employing people like Lesley Graham, what does this say about the producers ? Again, i’ll caveat the point by saying she’s probably a lovely woman but she should be nowhere near a primetime racing programme.
I might time the coverage given to betting on next weeks Morning Line.
We are here for the horses, the people involved. Too much exposure is given to exchanges and betting outside of their allotted space.
Just a teeny tiny question regarding the impending CH4 coverage of the Royal Meeting; will they be based in the Silver Ring?
Claire Balding being talked about moving to Channel 4 racing?
C4 racing would be lucky to get her………she is a proven PROPER broadcaster and journalist who can bring serious knowledge and/or research to any subject……….any number of bland lightweights who currently get away with it on C4 need to watch out……..Emma Spencer would be high up the league table of expendability but Claire would be better than any of them IMO.
Don’t think she’ll be bringing Willie with her though.
They all compliment each other very well. I dont have a problem
and think they all do a good job. The number of times the racing media personalities gets slagged on here on numerous threads is just professional jealousy imoI cant stand JP and the portly ex bookie on the BEEB though
Take the completely opposite view to the above. The last person I would want to see on Channel 4 is Clare Balding – in my opinion she is just about the biggest bluffer amongst all the ‘sports’ presenters – she has been able to take the idea of a little knowledge going a long way to the extreme.
Channel 4 have successfully managed to cover 99% of terrestrial racing without her so why should they want her now? I am sure the BBC will be able to find her some opportunities by shoving aside the far better and less objectionable Hazel Irvine.
Clare Balding is reported to be not rushing into any decisions about whether she will join Channel 4 for its racing coverage.
Her brand of professionalism and serious broadcasting will not sit easily with the assorted buffoons and lightweights she would have the misfortune to join (Tommo, Tanya Stevenson, Tom Lee, McCririck, Lesley Graham).
Then there’s the Pouting Heiress (Emma Spencer) and the Saucy Minx (Alice Plunkett) vying with her for the alpha female role.
It could be a real poisoned chalice for Clare.
Channel 4 is that highly respected, authoritative, heavyweight broadcaster which has built up its gravitas and international reputation with Countdown, The Word (the yoof programme famed for its misfits, attention seekers and Terry Christian) and no less a weighty broadcasting classic than Big Brother.
Not to mention the, er, naughty red light zone pornography offerings in the old days (so I understand…)
Come to think about it, I take that back about The Word. Pioneering a programme famed for its misfits and attention seekers could be ideal training for an expanded role for the Channel 4 racing team.
Certainly fills you with confidence for Royal Ascot.Take the completely opposite view to the above. The last person I would want to see on Channel 4 is Clare Balding – in my opinion she is just about the biggest bluffer amongst all the ‘sports’ presenters – she has been able to take the idea of a little knowledge going a long way to the extreme.
Channel 4 have successfully managed to cover 99% of terrestrial racing without her so why should they want her now? I am sure the BBC will be able to find her some opportunities by shoving aside the far better and less objectionable Hazel Irvine.
Couldn’t disagree more. Outside of racing, her knowledge of Rugby League is genuine and outstanding – wonder how many Home Counties horsey gels can claim that!!
Mike
Take the completely opposite view to the above. The last person I would want to see on Channel 4 is Clare Balding – in my opinion she is just about the biggest bluffer amongst all the ‘sports’ presenters – she has been able to take the idea of a little knowledge going a long way to the extreme.
Channel 4 have successfully managed to cover 99% of terrestrial racing without her so why should they want her now? I am sure the BBC will be able to find her some opportunities by shoving aside the far better and less objectionable Hazel Irvine.Couldn’t disagree more. Outside of racing, her knowledge of Rugby League is genuine and outstanding – wonder how many Home Counties horsey gels can claim that!!
I’ve been amazed over the years by Clare Balding’s sheer versatility and command of so much detail for so many different sports.
She’s easily the most authoritative racing broadcaster.
She’s always been really impressive on BBC broadcasts from Royal Ascot and Aintree, as well as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The one thing she certainly doesn’t do is bluff it. She has always done her homework, is armed with dozens of pieces of information at her fingertips and has often bailed out the hapless Willie Carson by instantly providing the name of the horse, jockey or race he has forgotten.
She is also unflappable and unfailingly professional.Claire is probably waiting to hear if Big Mac will be part of the C4 team. Not sure she’d take much sexist stupidity from him.
Ms Balding isn’t the most knowledgeable about racing/form, but she is an exceptional
presenter
. Able to turn her hand to anything and everything. From Countryfile to riding bikes, rugby to racing.
Be a fine addition to compliment the C4 team. Whether she wants to is another matter.
Value Is EverythingTake the completely opposite view to the above. The last person I would want to see on Channel 4 is Clare Balding – in my opinion she is just about the biggest bluffer amongst all the ‘sports’ presenters – she has been able to take the idea of a little knowledge going a long way to the extreme.
Channel 4 have successfully managed to cover 99% of terrestrial racing without her so why should they want her now? I am sure the BBC will be able to find her some opportunities by shoving aside the far better and less objectionable Hazel Irvine.Couldn’t disagree more. Outside of racing, her knowledge of Rugby League is genuine and outstanding – wonder how many Home Counties horsey gels can claim that!!
I’ve been amazed over the years by Clare Balding’s sheer versatility and command of so much detail for so many different sports.
She’s easily the most authoritative racing broadcaster.
She’s always been really impressive on BBC broadcasts from Royal Ascot and Aintree, as well as the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The one thing she certainly doesn’t do is bluff it. She has always done her homework, is armed with dozens of pieces of information at her fingertips and has often bailed out the hapless Willie Carson by instantly providing the name of the horse, jockey or race he has forgotten.
She is also unflappable and unfailingly professional.Except when she interviews winning jockeys after the Grand National?
Yes, no doubt with the help of researchers, she can paint a broad picture. If that kind of thing impresses you, fair enough but I like a little meat on the bones. If she were left to analyse a race by herself it would be laughable. In my opinion a racing presenter should have both presenting and analytical skills – I can’t see the point in paying ‘big money’ for half the package.
Wonder how many Rugby League games she attended before she started presenting?
She’d be a presenter Stilvi, a front (wo)man. Although she obviously knows quite a bit about racing; doesn’t need encyclopedic knowledge of the form book, it’s not her job.
Value Is EverythingExcept when she interviews winning jockeys after the Grand National?
Yes, no doubt with the help of researchers, she can paint a broad picture. If that kind of thing impresses you, fair enough but I like a little meat on the bones. If she were left to analyse a race by herself it would be laughable. In my opinion a racing presenter should have both presenting and analytical skills – I can’t see the point in paying ‘big money’ for half the package.
Wonder how many Rugby League games she attended before she started presenting?
So much of this is irrelevant/wrong I don’t know where to begin!
Right, Liam Tredwell wasn’t bothered, no doubt many of the professionally-agitated were on his behalf.
She paints more than a ‘broad picture’ – she genuinely knows her stuff and is very accurate. When she analyses a race/match (which she frequently
has
to to get the likes of Willie Carson and Jonathan Davies out of a mess) it is reliably spot on.
God knows how many RL games she attended before she was a presenter. I’m sure the vastly inferior Ray French attended thousands! I know RL and I have heard her reference matches/incidents etc in response to comments brought up by a guest that she couldn’t possibly know would be brought up beforehand. You
cannot
bluff that!
She is good. Properly good. And Channel 4 should ditch the silly club they have at the moment and hire her.
Mike
Wonder how many Rugby League games she attended before she started presenting?
Probably about as many as the number of bowls matches Simon Holt attended before widening his horizons by commentating on lawn bowls for the BBC at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October 2010!
That’s why Clare is such a professional. Rugby league is about as far removed from her background at Cambridge University and as the daughter of Flat race trainer Ian Balding as you could wish.Except when she interviews winning jockeys after the Grand National?
She certainly dropped a clanger when making her gaffe about the teeth but it was not malicious, was meant light-heartedly and similar mistakes have been few and far between.
Her analysis of racing replays is spot on. She instantly identifies the colours, knows what has happened if there is a question of interference and any whip offending, and generally cuts straight to the point.
The more I think about it, she would be making a huge mistake in joining Channel 4 racing.
Others like Des Lynam have discovered that it can be a big mistake to leave the Beeb for more lucrative pastures new.The production of racing on Channel 4 from 2013 is going out to tender shortly. Highflyer’s contract ends at the close of the year, so there is very much potential for a blank canvas in terms of its presentation line up, should a new company get the contract. It will be fascinating to see how Channel 4 the broadcaster (not the Channel 4 racing team) promote the sport to a wider audience next year.
With this take-over news, I think we might be heading for a massive clearout at C4 racing after this year.
There’s a lot needs freshening and it’s an opportunity for a new start.
I think it all looks a bit
Top Gear
at the moment.
Mike
It needs freshening up.
The nondescript Tom Lee and tongue-tied Tanya would be first out the door and I now agree with those who say that it’s time to pension off John McCririck. He’s become a pre-historic irrelevance.
I would ditch Lesley Graham and the two hooray-henriettas ( Emma Spencer and Alice Plunkett ).
Francome has become stale and argumentative and Jim McGrath just looks totally disinterested now and gives the impression of going through the motions. I get the feeling that their noses have been put somewhat out of joint by Nick Luck.
For starters, I’d begin by replacing them with Clare Balding, Lydia Hislop, Graeme Cunningham and Steve Mellish. Richard Hoiles would be my commentator
I’d keep Nick Luck as the anchor man.
Blimey, that’s pretty much exactly what I’d do
The production of racing on Channel 4 from 2013 is going out to tender shortly. Highflyer’s contract ends at the close of the year,
Thank Henderson for that !
Be nice to see a fresh yet professional approach
I think Nick Luck will begin to diversify so he and Clare Balding would dovetail nicely in the new format.
Get rid of spoofers like Matt Dawson ( seriously ??!! ) being asked to present features
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