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Oli Bell pronouncing a horse named Bizet as “Bizzet” sticks with me. Public school ‘educated’?
I’ve commented before that’s it’s easy to forget John McC was an award winning journalist before he started on ITV , it’s the same with Thommo , nowadays he,s stuck doing commentary on a wet windy night at Wolverhampton but don’t forget when Shergar was stolen he was the man brought in to communicate between the police/owners and the IRA ….when he was walking out the airport he was called over to a phone call ,he confirmed he was at the airport ” we know ” came the reply ,” were watching you ” ……Feck that and Feck driving about 80s Belfast looking for a horse , I met Thommo through work , he was very sociable …..but he did give me a duff tip though !!! , to be fair I gave him a duff one in return
Pick 3 on Saturday champion 2025/2026
It is clear how a lot of racing presenters do not understand some of the names from artistic or historical figures given to Coolmore horses.
Any nightmare team would have to feature Mike Cattermole (the colour beige in hunan form), Housewife’s Choice John Francombe, poison dwarf Willie Carson, drunk Al Down and senile Brough Scott.
BlueSky @pghenn.bsky.social
So don't run, just like the others always do
Ex-jockeys would certainly make up a large proportion of my nightmare team, though there are some honourable exceptions.
I would share Tonge’s concerns about Dettori deciding to take up a TV career in the future. He does not strike me as someone who is likely to be good at considering things from the viewer’s perspective or taking second billing to the action. However, I’m sure his mass appeal would mean a role would be guaranteed if he wanted one. Hopefully he’ll prove me wrong.
Carson (can still hear whatever it was now, it wasn’t a laugh), and Balding, killed racing on BBC and C4 go and sign Balding! Very clever of them!
Bet ITV are banging on Dettori’s door every day for them to join them once he is done.
Off the top of my head…
Presenter – Nick Luck.
Backup Presenter – Tom Stanley.On the panel – Jim Mcgrath (English one), Gary O Brien, Adele Mulrennan (flat), Jane Mangan (jumps), Ruby Walsh (race analysis).
Parade Ring only flat (Francesca Cumani), Parade Ring only jumps (Alice Plunkett), At the start only (Mick Fitzgerald).
Betting ring – Brian Gleeson.
Interviews – Kevin O’Ryan.
Commentating only – Simon Holt (main), Stewart Machin, Mark Johnson.
Carson was by some distance the most dislikable presenter. Aside from his personality, which had as much appeal as an unflushed toilet, he regularly sneered at punters throughout his career and is as steadfast in his view that racing was “none of our business”
Perhaps at the time the BBC employed Carson to co host racing they didn’t have a screen test for the position, and took him on on who he was and his connections and knowledge.
And perhaps as he as a captain on Question of Sport he didn’t need one in their eyes.But his tenure with Balding was pretty disastrous. Obviously when C4 took n Balding they thought she was being held back and the chemistry wasn’t there with Carson. Truth was Balding didn’t fit the programme either, too sterilised and perfect that’s why I think someone like Francome brings some edginess and earthiness to the programme.
No script from him, says it how it is.Blimey. Balding “sterilised”? I know that she …. Well anyway
Thing about Carson is that even horse hated him. One kicked him in the Bollocks I seem to recall?
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