- This topic has 864 replies, 161 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 10 months ago by
.
- Posts
Gina Bryce? Come on, you have got to be kidding me. Someone must be looking after her. I posted about Zoe Bird elsewhere and Gina Bryce is from the same stable of bumbling, unnatural presenters who cannot think fast enough for live TV. If memory serves Bryce once described Alleged as the last horse to win the US Triple Crown when doing a piece the morning after I’ll Have Another had won the Kentucky Derby.
I also find the decision to continue with Tanya Stevenson unfathomable, especially since Big Mac seems to have been sacked. Like Bryce and Bird she is not a natural and has made no obvious signs of "growing" into the job. Claire Balding was by her own admission awful when she started but she improved to become the pre-eminent racing broadcaster in the UK. The other three have had many years between them to sort it out and have shown no discernable signs of improvement.
Just goes to show itsnot what you know….
Cannot believe Rishi Persad has made the lineup. Is he honestly considered to be among the top handful of racing pundits/presenters(whatever you want to call him) out there?
Also, as much as I know not everyone will agree here, I would have liked to have seen either Big Mac or Matt Chapman in there, just to add something different, a bit of colour perhaps(more orange in MC’s case!).
Very happy Tarns is still in there though, what a woman
The key omissions from the core team seem to be Mike Cattermole, Alastair Down, Lesley Graham and Tommo. Francome had, of course, already ruled himself out.
Mike Cattermole is thoroughly professional and, unless he is to be added later, seems a major omission.
I wonder if his much-publicised antipathy towards Clare Balding has been a factor. They reportedly fell out when he rejected the BBC’s overtures towards him years ago.
Alastair Down is a fine wordsmith but, according to Phil Walker, has been suffering health problems so perhaps that is a factor.
No surprise that Tommo isn’t mentioned.
Nick Luck is generally excellent and it will be good that he has an enhanced role.
I seem to be alone in thinking that Emma Spencer is competent and professional. She deserves to be retained, in my opinion. She is fluent, articulate, is a good broadcaster and has a lot more to offer than she is given credit for.
I presume others such as Stewart Machin may pop up occasionally, with a larger number of meetings to cover, perhaps in a secondary role as at present.
I think Mick Fitzgerald is a lot more impressive than he is given credit for.
He has proved he has an eagle eye for picking up fallers and mishaps when talking through the full-race replay of the Grand National and has been consistently fluent and confident in that role, as well as providing word-perfect in-running comments during races.
Jim McGrath has long since been past his sell-by date but, perhaps, without Francome, could be sharpened up.
I quite like Gina Bryce but I suspect Graham Cunningham will become a major irritant for his tendency to keep looking into the camera while being interviewed (as was pointed out on an earlier thread on this forum).
Not impressed by the motley collection. Stevenson is the worst broadcaster I’ve ever seen given the amount of practice she’s had.
Emma Spencer and Tanya Stevenson were cherry ripe for dropping IMO.
Neither of them give the impression that they are doing any more than going through the motions and dropping the multi skilled Cattermole and leaving Spencer cannot be justified.What little I have seen of Cunningham on RUK has not impressed me even though he may know his stuff,he is a bit like Willoughby…..just not telegenic or likeable IMO.
Nick Luck knows his stuff and is a good broadcaster but he lacks likeability for me.
Rishi in the Thommo slot seems like a fair call but we’ll see.
Hopefully no news of Lesley Graham and the occaisional betting chap Tom means that quite rightly they have both been dropped.
Seems like the programme is going more heavyweight and not going to be aimed so much at the casual viewer.
Should be interesting.
… but I suspect Graham Cunningham will become a major irritant for his tendency to keep looking into the camera while being interviewed (as was pointed out on an earlier thread on this forum).
A valid point and something that he needs to address. It can be a bit off-putting Apart from that, he is knowledgeable, very loquacious and has a computer like brain when it comes to recalling past races and analyzing form. A very good addition.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
…this isn’t unexpected but I’m very disappointed nonetheless that Matt Chapman was not successful, he didn’t even get an interview according to his Twitter posts…
for me, as I have stated many times, he is far and away the best presenter/interviewer/race analyst on any horse racing programme available to us here….
some of those successful couldn’t live with Matt’s expertise in this field…
As Lord Snooty is now concentrating on C4 who will take his place on Racing UK? Lydia Hislop I suppose, prefer to watch her than Lortd Snooty anyway
Stevenson is the worst broadcaster I’ve ever seen given the amount of practice she’s had.
A great opportunity to add some gravitas and professionalism to the betting ring coverage has been missed through insisting on keeping the shambolic, tongue-tied, amateurish and inarticulate Tanya.
To think that a professional, articulate, versatile presenter and commentator like Mike Cattermole hasn’t even been mentioned in the press release but that someone like her, who has none of his broadcasting ability, has been mentioned speaks volumes.
As with Willie Carson, a poorly spoken, inarticulate, stuttering and lightweight amateur has been preferred. How some people can say that the articulate Emma Spencer should not have been kept on but Tanya should is just beyond belief.
With one or two exceptions what a motley crew, and why the need for so many of them.As much as I admire Ms. Balding she is too much of a "pal" to ask the awkward questions that only Chapman and Big Mac seem to ask.
Jim McGrath should have been put out to grass years ago.Somebody should tell him that it’s a good idea to keep one’s eyes open when speaking on television.
…this isn’t unexpected but I’m very disappointed nonetheless that Matt Chapman was not successful, he didn’t even get an interview according to his Twitter posts…
for me, as I have stated many times, he is far and away the best presenter/interviewer/race analyst on any horse racing programme available to us here….Can’t believe you even think he is remotely suitable.
Nobody could be less suited to appearing on a mainstream racing programme.
Despite his excellent Arc interviews and impressive ability to take over a race commentary when the course commentary has gone silent, he would bring the whole programme into disrepute by being a total loose cannon.
Jim McGrath should have been put out to grass years ago.Somebody should tell him that it’s a good idea to keep one’s eyes open when speaking on television.
I suspect this may be grossly unfair. I don’t know but I strongly suspect he has actually got a serious eye condition that causes his eyes to close in the way they do.
Jim McGrath should have been put out to grass years ago.Somebody should tell him that it’s a good idea to keep one’s eyes open when speaking on television.
I suspect this may be grossly unfair. I don’t know but I strongly suspect he has actually got a serious eye condition that causes his eyes to close in the way they do.
Has he also got a serious mouth condition that causes his mouth to open in the way it does?
Whatever makes you think that?
Can’t believe you even think he is remotely suitable.
Nobody could be less suited to appearing on a mainstream racing programme.
Despite his excellent Arc interviews and impressive ability to take over a race commentary when the course commentary has gone silent, he would bring the whole programme into disrepute by being a total loose cannon.
…I would give him credit for having the capability to adjust his style when he needs to.. he can be as professional as anyone else.
C4 racing appears to be playing it safe, and I think Matt is better than that actually…Has he also got a serious mouth condition that causes his mouth to open in the way it does?
That could well be quite a different matter!
Certainly, that awful, protracted laugh is pretty awful and, sadly, we are going to have to keep putting up with it, even when he hasn’t got Francome’s jokes to guffaw at!
Despite his excellent Arc interviews and impressive ability to take over a race commentary when the course commentary has gone silent, he would bring the whole programme into disrepute by being a total loose cannon.
…I would give him credit for having the capability to adjust his style when he needs to.. he can be as professional as anyone else.
C4 racing appears to be playing it safe, and I think Matt is better than that actually…He was impressive and was widely praised for his Arc interviews and contributions.
Sadly, that more controlled and more professional, measured approach is very rarely seen from him.
It’s such a pity because he lets himself down. He did himself out of a continuing racecourse commentary job by resolutely refusing to tone down his antics.
He would have been streets ahead of the dire John Blance, who has secured the racecourse commentary gig next year almost by default after Chapman threw it away with his over-the-top antics.
He shot himself in the foot when, with a little humility and more of the Arc day persona and profesionalism, he could conceivably have been an outside contender even for Channel 4.
His controversial, high-profile reputation would, however, have been too high a risk for Channel 4, especially when they are playing safe and sticking with Tanya…
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.