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I am surprised they didn’t go for a totally racing person.
But he is a racing person! It’s just so happened that he’s been covering football in recent years, at which, so Sky football watchers say, he’s pretty good.
Why on earth is having a broad sporting knowledge a drawback?
It might make it easier for him to communicate the intricacies and delights of the sport to a wider audience, something that one-trick ponies like Wilson, Luck, Lysaght et al have singularly failed to do, or even attempted.
He has a tipster/review article every weekend on the sporting life website. Tends to be a good read
I don’t have Sky so have not had exposure to Ed Chamberlin but having now Youtubed a few clips of him in action he comes across as a personable, professional, well-spoken and knowledgeable gent; easy on the eye too with a penchant for lambswool sweaters, which is a plus. I feel he and Nick Luck would meld well
Having experimented with Skype and found the whole experience tongue-tyingly terrifying I would agree that yer average punter down the pub is not capable of fronting a TV racing programme even if he does know his speedfigures from his sectionals
He regularly has a piece on the sporting life website on racing
I’m always bemused by those who seem to believe that television presenters have some magical “talent” which isn’t simply the ability to talk and the luck to get the job in the first place. Almost anybody can do the job.
It depends. A fluent, affable, knowledgeable person might sit comfortably on The Morning Line couch and look professional. People like Nick Luck – deep knowledge, eloquent, quick-thinking, cool under pressure are rare.
Huge difference between sitting chatting and interviewing a big name at a Festival meeting, wile listening to the PA/watching the screen, listening to the director through the earpiece talking, perhaps about something completely different from what you are currently questioning your interviewee about (bearing in mind you should, through all this, be paying close attention to what that person is saying, anticipating how he or she might answer the next question, so try to find another way of asking it and projecting how that answer might lead you…perhaps then thinking three or four questions/permutation of questions ahead. And through all this you must appear smiling and unruffled.
If Luck doesn’t get an ITV job, he will be very much missed by many, I suspect. His misfortune is not having been blessed with much charisma, but I can live with that given everything else he brings to his job.
Whoever is on TV, he/she will be liked/disliked in the same way you like avocados and I don’t. But whether you like Luck or not, don’t dismiss him or any fine ‘anchor’ by saying the job is easy.
‘Simply’ talking direct to a camera is very difficult, never mind all the other issues needing dealt with. Here’s a wee trial for those who think it’s easy: go and get a bottle and turn it so you can see the base. Set it on a shelf at eye level and look directly at it then talk non-stop for a minute to it about racing in an easygoing, smiling natural manner. 1.01 you are a blubbering wreck come time up.
I suspect the Americans (NBC) will be happy to take Luck on for some of their shows. They seem happy to take him on during the Breeders Cup and does a fine job of it. He will always have Racing UK so it is not like it is the end of the world for him. If he is getting the abuse (some of it is abuse) from his Channel 4 work , then it just ain’t worth it for him. He would be welcomed back on any horse racing tv show
Well it cant’t be any worse than the 8 that lined up against Camelot. I wonder if Harzand is still on course, his win in the Ballysax looks even better now but 25/1 is strangely big?
Smullen had said (before Weld was interviewed) that Harzand was a bit too big (size wise) to go to Epsom and would be one for the future. Weld said he won’t rule anything out, Since their other other did not do too well at the Derrinstown, they should give it a craic.
I think there is a serious danger of change for changes sake here… Martin Kelly is a bland talking head . For me you can’t beat Nick Luck as a front man ( totally knows his stuff ) and Graham Cunningham is an excellent pundit ( witty informed and encapsulates form really well)…there is nobody that equals either of them in their current roles in my opinion.
Cunningham gets stick from those who remember fondly the glory days of the old Channel 4 team, as boring and no craic. To be fair, he is knowledgeable and I do not mind him . I have no problems with Luck, I like him even if he is a bit posh. The lads in America have no problem with him working with them during the Breeders Cup .
The Current Channel 4 team have had many moments of annoyance but in all are not as bad as many complain about. The fawning over Dettori and McCoy or Fitzy’s answer to everything “isn’t Nicky Henderson” great is frustrating. Balding, we know you are pals of theirs, we know they are great but give over. Even when Dicky Johnson won his title, it was all about McCoy (McCoy was probably embarrassed). Even when Treve won her first Arc, where Frankie was jocked off (but he messed up his leg anyway) Balding (who famous nearly got run over by a horse n cart in the parade ring) kepted talking about Frankie as if he was the reason behind her success and how he missed the ride – not true, Maareek was sticking with her jockey. Granted, Frankie got one back on them (and the owner, who is his retainer) last year with a superb ride.
I know many TV channels do not cover whole cards but it is annoying that someone like Channel 4 can not stick on the first race (especially in jumps) . It is not like they have much to broadcast. Wow, previously is was like over 20 hours a day of Big Brother now they have saturated the daily listing with that Dinner show , before and after the racing
One could say what they like about Matt Chapman, but when he tones it down, he can do excellent work in the parade ring and when given a chance to talk to trainers . Look at his interviews with Jim Bolger and of course the famous one with Sir Henry Cecil, which, ironically Channel 4 used a huge amount of during their tribute to the man during Ascot last year. If ye can, check out Chapman’s post 2014 Arc interview with the connections behind Treve. He got more out of them than the others who interviewed them earlier.
top of my head, all of which trainers have the opportunity to be rubbish or brilliant at, and all stages in between. Which is why some have a more successful career than others.
Understand the horse, and what the horse needs to be the best it can. Notice every detail about every horse every day.
Teach the horse how to run. Match horses with work riders. Choose the detail of the work each horse needs.
Teach the horse all the mental stuff: like how and when to be competitive, when to relax, when to fight, how to respond to a riders messages, etc.
It is a pity that Brough Scott, the author of the book didn’t delve a little more into detail about Cecil’s knowledge and skills as a trainer as oppose to simply saying he was patient, allowed horses to do their thing and of course the darker side to his personal life. Then again, why would Cecil be giving away all his secret’s on horses.
Would have loved to see Cecil or even AP O’Brien at work. Spot on about Stoute, look at the horses that came first, second, third at the King George in 2010 while his Derby winner disappointed. Look at some of their backgrounds. Hope Exosphere can run on from this . I wished Snow Sky was given another season to see if he could tackle the stayers races
Steve Caution, “Pressure” as Bolger refers to is the owners. Godolpin bought Dawn Approach after his two year old career. Bolger’s body language before the race was clear, he had already made public his findings on Dawn Approach. Judging by the purchases Godolpin have had over the last few years (of horses who have already proven themselves at some level as oppose to home breeds where they have some fine stallions and mares) and lack of classics for the money spent, and of course, until recently, the choice of trainers he used, I wonder about the Sheikh’s knowledge. It might have been a horrible case of running Dawn Approach just to have a runner (Libertarian was bought by the man immediately after that Derby and sadly flopped in the Irish Derby, along with the Epsom Winner) It was a miracle that Bolger got him sound for the St James Stakes . It is also a credit to HRA Cecil that he had the balls to refrain from running Frankel in the Derby at that age.
Bolger’s company came out with these findings not long before the 2013 Derby. He was interviewed on At The Races about it, and a general (rare ) interview. Essentially, his horse, Dawn Approach (2000 Guineas Winner) , did not fit the stayer’s match. What a pity it was that the new owner (Godolphin) did not heed Bolger’s clear warnings and ran him in the Derby , when Bolger had another horse, Trading Leather (Irish Derby winner), who was a more likely candidate. But hey, try saying “no” to the Godolpin’s owner.
