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Nice to see McCririck get a mention. It was a pity the character he created took him over and his reality TV appearances were sad to see.
He was a fine journalist and he did know his facts. Whenever there was a serious interview about racing politics or finances on Channel 4 Racing, it was usually McCririck who did it.
I met him a few times at the races. He struck me as quietly spoken and kind natured, not a bit like the Monster he created and found difficult to escape from.
I’ll go against the grain in here to say i quite like the ITV coverage. If u want 100% coverage for the ‘elite’ racing crowd then watch Racing tv. ITV have to appeal to the general public.
Couldnt stand Nick Luck when it was on Channel 4.
In fact, Channel 4’s racing coverage became so bland, stale – they really became complacent, i felt, about the fact they had terrestrial tv coverage of racing.The only ITV presenter i’d ditch, esp for the Jumps, is Francesca.
Someone asked about Jim McGrath – he’s on Sky Sports Racing sometimes, esp the bigger meets.
Agree with all that Cork. A very complicated person
Thanks Wilt. I must have been missing that
When McCririck first appeared at Shergar’s Derby 18yo me thought he was amazing – I’d never heard anything like him before.
He was proclaiming Shergar not only the winner, but the horse of the century based on market support before the race had even been run and he was talking about bookmakers crying as they paid out afterwards.
He was drama, pure theatre, he grabbed attention.
Sadly, he became a complete caricature of himself in later years.
I only ever spoke to him once.
As a 21yo Raceform trainee, at the July course for the first time, I asked him the way to the press room.
He couldn’t have been more quietly kind, considerate and polite – he personally showed me the way to the very door.
A very different man to his onscreen persona.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"It’s sad how McCririck’s racing TV career ended so unceremoniously, and I don’t think his later years were happy ones.
He was a complex and interesting character. Shame he never wrote an autobiography as I think it would have been an interesting read.
Agree an autobiography by McCririck would have been interesting to read.
Julian Wilson, in his obituary in “The Guardian”, summed him up rather well:
“A man who in the 1980s had been viewed as a hard-working and serious journalist was now playing the part of the unlovable clown in burlesque.”
Wilson was by no means a fan of McCririck (to put it mildly) and clearly enjoyed getting in a dig or two – but by and large it is a fair summary. It was published posthumously as Wilson predeceased his subject.
I did find one sentence amusing. Only Wilson could describe a mews cottage in expensive Primrose Hill as “modest”!
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/jul/05/john-mccririck-obituary
Bizarre having a man who died before you write your obituary.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"McCririck was essential viewing for me. I absolutely loved the bloke on the box. RIP.
BUY THE SUN
Love Big Mac..
Presenter: Gamble. I’d expect record breaking views
Form: Gamble
Betting: Gamble
Paddock: Triptych
Commentator: Gamble
Gaelic Warrior Gold Cup Winner 2026
The horses would be in their boxes and on the motorway back home before he got to the point.
Presenter – Nick Luck (this should be fairly obvious, he’s infinitely the best in the business. I think a large part of the drop-off between Channel 4 and ITV can be put down to this change).
The Team:
Lydia Hislop (almost invariably superb)
Andrew Mount (would chime in with pretty useful stats and would be pretty good at post-race analysis)
Ruby Walsh (still improving as a pundit, made to look better by the company he’s usually in at ITV but still the best of the ex-jockeys)
Richard Hoiles (commentary, ITV should use him a bit more outside that role such is the weakness of the rest of the team)
Hayley Moore (echoing what Cork All Star said really)
Rishi Persad (seems solid enough, can deputise when others are unavailable)
Ross Brierley (ditto, would do a good job presenting the equivalent of the Opening Show in this hypothetical racing broadcast)
Wilson also predeceased Peter O’Sullevan but wrote the obituary in The Guardian.
It is not that unusual. A lot of obituaries are written well in advance so they can be published as and when required.
The other half, who has a very good taste in men of course, always loved McCririck. Said you could see he had a really gentle side and he was like a little boy really.
First time she saw Rapist Galloway on the box (big brother?), without knowing his creepy politics, she said that guy is genuinely a disgusting skin crawling women hating bully. She says, we can just tell…
she was not wrong
An unashamed Big Mac lover here. Not only a great entertainer but, when not playing a caricature of himself, knowledgeable too.
Loved the fact he was never short of an opinion nor afraid to voice it;the total antithesis of his colleagues of the time and also the current cast.
How McCoy and Fitzgerald maintain their presence i don’t know. They put me to sleep quicker than the missus giving me the come on on an evening
Agree about Big Mac. Never afraid to raise controversial issues or criticise racing’s big names and governing bodies. Towards the end his act did get tiresome though. I also saw him at the races often and he was always open to respond to the public and pose for photos. Pity the current obsession for “selfies” with celebs came too late for him. I recall that he didn’t smell very fresh but I suppose that’s what you get for wearing huge coats in summer!
I’m rather with Wilts on ITV, though sounds like we won’t be seeing Cumani for a while, which is a relief. Far too many presenters and could do without McCoy & Fitz but the core team are solid enough. I still remember the incessant cackling of Willie Carson and mind-numbing drone of Peter Scudamore so have no rose-tinted glasses. Clear evidence that good jockeys don’t necessarily make good presenters (and there are plenty more examples). Fingers crossed this lesson is learned when Dettori retires.
I resemble some of the remarks earlier.
I followed McCririck one day at Sandown Park (detectives get away with stalking) – the sun was going down and he was walking on his own – He went to the tote and placed a sneaky bet. It showed me he was a private person – a bit like me. We both liked anonymous !
Another day he was there with his mike getting wet through, I cannot remember if Derek Thompson was there – or if he might have Brought Scott – no umbrella to hand and it was bucketing down and Mac stood there without a mac – a large rather abject but resilient figure dripping wet ( no hat ). I felt a bit sorry for him !
REMEMBER HIM AT
HIS PINNACLE
HE WAS A CONTRIBUTOR
AND HE WILL STAY IN THE
FOREFRONT OF THE MEMORY
FAR MORE THAN THE MANY.HE BROUGHT THE GRIT
END OF HORSERACING
WHAT DRIVES IT
ALIVE AND PRESCIENT
THERE INTO THE
CORNER OF
THE ROOMTHE TWO MENACES
THE LICENCED
THE UNLICENCED
THE CROUCHING
AND THE INDOMITABLEAs far as jockey commentators go, I quite enjoyed Wally Swinburn doing his paddock reviews. He waxed lyrical with the fillies. He sort of came alive !
Racing coverage doesn’t always excel when its participants make, or fail to make, a cross-cultural reference.
For a disturbing double in the poet failure stakes Dickinson could easily be coupled with Shelley. This is because once upon a time Matt Chapman and Hayley Turner could be heard discussing the origin of the name Percy B Shelley as the horse was going in the stalls at Windsor.
Neither of them had a clue, which prompted one forum member to comment that he often looked upon Chapman’s works and despaired.
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