Horse Racing on TV

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  • linnyloulinnylou Posts: 18,770
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    Clare will be back with the team next Saturday (26th) at Cheltenham.

    Today was the first time I tuned in since NYD, and I must say, I feel quite settled in with the team already. Nice camaraderie, seeing as only Kempton was on.

    And the graphics didn't bother me at all. :D
  • sogosogo Posts: 213
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    linnylou wrote: »
    Clare will be back with the team next Saturday (26th) at Cheltenham.

    Today was the first time I tuned in since NYD, and I must say, I feel quite settled in with the team already. Nice camaraderie, seeing as only Kempton was on.

    And the graphics didn't bother me at all. :D

    Well at least it wasn't The Graham Cunningham Show today, nobody has ever been a greater danger to freeview racing than that man. No way racing will survive on tv if Channel 4 refuse to admit that, however cheap he is, he doesn't have a scrap of personality or character.
    Speaking of which, they've successfully wiped out all the characters (Francome, McCririck, Cattermole, Thompson, Down, Spencer) and left us with the insipid & bland.
    Only one with any serious, hands-on experience is Mick Fitz, but he is never going to be even 10% as sharp & funny as Francs.
  • linnyloulinnylou Posts: 18,770
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    sogo wrote: »
    Well at least it wasn't The Graham Cunningham Show today, nobody has ever been a greater danger to freeview racing than that man. No way racing will survive on tv if Channel 4 refuse to admit that, however cheap he is, he doesn't have a scrap of personality or character.
    Speaking of which, they've successfully wiped out all the characters (Francome, McCririck, Cattermole, Thompson, Down, Spencer) and left us with the insipid & bland.
    Only one with any serious, hands-on experience is Mick Fitz, but he is never going to be even 10% as sharp & funny as Francs.

    I agree. I wasn't too enamoured with Nick Luck before, but at least he's now showing some movement in his face and can actually smile and show he has teeth. I like Fitz, but I do miss Francome.
  • Armagideon TimeArmagideon Time Posts: 2,412
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    sogo wrote: »
    Well at least it wasn't The Graham Cunningham Show today, nobody has ever been a greater danger to freeview racing than that man. No way racing will survive on tv if Channel 4 refuse to admit that, however cheap he is, he doesn't have a scrap of personality or character.
    Speaking of which, they've successfully wiped out all the characters (Francome, McCririck, Cattermole, Thompson, Down, Spencer) and left us with the insipid & bland.
    Only one with any serious, hands-on experience is Mick Fitz, but he is never going to be even 10% as sharp & funny as Francs.

    Dunno about character, but she's still there. According to a recent interview, and although Flat racing is her forte, she'll be part of the C4 team at Cheltenham next Saturday.
  • F1KenF1Ken Posts: 4,229
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    linnylou wrote: »
    I agree. I wasn't too enamoured with Nick Luck before, but at least he's now showing some movement in his face and can actually smile and show he has teeth. I like Fitz, but I do miss Francome.

    Big loss for me. Seems dull with out the characters. I don't really like it to be honest. I'm trying to but it's not working.

    Hopefully I will get used to it.

    Ken
  • mlt11mlt11 Posts: 21,058
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    Derek Thompson is rejoining Radio 5 Live.

    He was on R5L earlier this afternoon with Cornelius Lysaght:

    - BBC radio has signed a new 4 year racing contract. Includes expanded coverage of Cheltenham - every race now live on R5L or 5LSX

    - Thompson will be part of R5L team at Cheltenham. Interview did not make clear how much he will be doing for R5L - ie whether just Cheltenham, regular appearances or somewhere in between.
  • Alex2606Alex2606 Posts: 2,682
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    mlt11 wrote: »
    Derek Thompson is rejoining Radio 5 Live.

    He was on R5L earlier this afternoon with Cornelius Lysaght:

    - BBC radio has signed a new 4 year racing contract. Includes expanded coverage of Cheltenham - every race now live on R5L or 5LSX

    - Thompson will be part of R5L team at Cheltenham. Interview did not make clear how much he will be doing for R5L - ie whether just Cheltenham, regular appearances or somewhere in between.

    On the BBC Sport website it only talks about Thompson joining the team for Cheltenham
    Respected broadcaster Derek Thompson is to join the BBC Radio team for the four days of racing from 12-15 March.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/horse-racing/21472771
  • The DifferenceThe Difference Posts: 21,026
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    mlt11 wrote: »
    Derek Thompson is rejoining Radio 5 Live.

    Is he rejoining 5 Live or is that a typo on your part?

    When it comes to radio, Derek has a long association with talkSPORT. He was part of the rota of presenters who worked on the Sports Breakfast upon the station's rebrand from Talk Radio in 2000, before forging a daily racing preview/betting slot called Tommo's Tips on what would become the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast. It aired every weekday at 6.55am and ran for around 11 years until it was discontinued at the end of January 2011.

    So if Tommo was worked for Radio 5 Live in the past, it must have been quite a while ago. In any case, it's good to hear that he's back on the radio.
  • RobinCarmodyRobinCarmody Posts: 3,103
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    He has worked for BBC Radio in the past, but not for Five Live, because he left a decade before even the original Radio 5 came into being. He was a Radio 2 sports reporter and commentator, specialising in racing and show jumping (the latter much bigger then than now), between 1972 and 1980, before he left to join ITV. During this time he was part of the Grand National commentary team, called the early stages of the Guineas races and indeed reported from Cheltenham in 1977 at least, back when Terry Wogan presented the Gold Cup coverage.
  • flashgordon1952flashgordon1952 Posts: 3,799
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    Aint these the losers that end up in a "beef pie?" nah !
  • sporter92sporter92 Posts: 1,194
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    I haven't seen much of C4 Racing this year as I usually just follow the big meetings but how is the new team doing? I suppose the first big test will be the Cheltenham Festival in March then the Grand National in April.

    Also Derek Thompson will be a great addition to the BBC Radio team so well done to 5 Live
    Aint these the losers that end up in a "beef pie?" nah !

    At the Grand National if the horses are not first pasta the post then they are being turned into Spaghetti Bologneighs
  • The WandererThe Wanderer Posts: 5,238
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    sporter92 wrote: »
    At the Grand National if the horses are not first pasta the post then they are being turned into Spaghetti Bologneighs

    I think they're going a bit too far getting Jamie Oliver to present the Grand National this year
  • The DifferenceThe Difference Posts: 21,026
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    He has worked for BBC Radio in the past, but not for Five Live, because he left a decade before even the original Radio 5 came into being. He was a Radio 2 sports reporter and commentator, specialising in racing and show jumping (the latter much bigger then than now), between 1972 and 1980, before he left to join ITV. During this time he was part of the Grand National commentary team, called the early stages of the Guineas races and indeed reported from Cheltenham in 1977 at least, back when Terry Wogan presented the Gold Cup coverage.

    Thanks for providing all of those details Robin, an interesting and informative post as is always the case with your contributions.

    There is an interview with Derek Thompson on page seven of today's Racing Post that might be of interest to readers of this thread. It's not been uploaded to the RP website as far as I can see, so to briefly sum it up Derek speaks about being "over the moon" to be involved in 5 Live's Cheltenham coverage, predicts 5 Live's listening figures to be higher than the Channel 4 viewing figures and reminisces about his original spell on BBC Radio (he says that he was there for nine years during the 1970s).
  • pakokelso93pakokelso93 Posts: 11,013
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    sporter92 wrote: »
    At the Grand National if the horses are not first pasta the post then they are being turned into Spaghetti Bologneighs

    That's enough of that horseplay. ;):o
  • Tony YeboahTony Yeboah Posts: 9,870
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    As per Charles Sale: 'C4 bring back Down '
    'Channel 4 have reacted to the botched start to their new racing coverage — viewing figures are down 12 per cent — by bringing back the erudite Alastair Down, one of the on-screen talents shown the door.
    Down’s return for next month’s Cheltenham Festival and other major meetings could be seen as a counter to John McCririck, C4’s most high-profile casualty, launching a £3m ageism court action.
    C4 say Down’s comeback has no connection whatsoever with McCririck.'

    I imagine everyone will be happy with this news. Sale has had the knives out for Channel 4 Racing since Highflyer lost the contract but this clearly has nothing to do with McCririck's threat of legal action. Channel 4 have always said that in time, further key names will be added to the core presenting team.
  • Darren LethemDarren Lethem Posts: 61,413
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    As per Charles Sale: 'C4 bring back Down '
    'Channel 4 have reacted to the botched start to their new racing coverage — viewing figures are down 12 per cent — by bringing back the erudite Alastair Down, one of the on-screen talents shown the door.
    Down’s return for next month’s Cheltenham Festival and other major meetings could be seen as a counter to John McCririck, C4’s most high-profile casualty, launching a £3m ageism court action.
    C4 say Down’s comeback has no connection whatsoever with McCririck.'

    I imagine everyone will be happy with this news. Sale has had the knives out for Channel 4 Racing since Highflyer lost the contract but this clearly has nothing to do with McCririck's threat of legal action. Channel 4 have always said that in time, further key names will be added to the core presenting team.

    That is good news. I miss Fat Al
  • steveh31steveh31 Posts: 13,516
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    It will be down to Cheltenham and the Grand National to get the viewers in if not then I suspect they will have to start changing things.
  • Alex2606Alex2606 Posts: 2,682
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    As per Charles Sale: 'C4 bring back Down '
    'Channel 4 have reacted to the botched start to their new racing coverage — viewing figures are down 12 per cent — by bringing back the erudite Alastair Down, one of the on-screen talents shown the door.
    Down’s return for next month’s Cheltenham Festival and other major meetings could be seen as a counter to John McCririck, C4’s most high-profile casualty, launching a £3m ageism court action.
    C4 say Down’s comeback has no connection whatsoever with McCririck.'

    I imagine everyone will be happy with this news. Sale has had the knives out for Channel 4 Racing since Highflyer lost the contract but this clearly has nothing to do with McCririck's threat of legal action. Channel 4 have always said that in time, further key names will be added to the core presenting team.

    It is very good news, there was no reason for them not to originally have had Alastair Down from the outset
  • chemical2009bchemical2009b Posts: 5,250
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    steveh31 wrote: »
    It will be down to Cheltenham and the Grand National to get the viewers in if not then I suspect they will have to start changing things.

    I predict a McCririck return by the start of 2014 if the ratings have not picked up by then.
  • steveh31steveh31 Posts: 13,516
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    I predict a McCririck return by the start of 2014 if the ratings have not picked up by then.

    They can't rely on McCririck forever he is approaching mid 70's and is not the answer to their troubles.
  • THOMOTHOMO Posts: 7,446
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    I won't be watching the Cheltenham Festival on TV as I'm travelling down to the West Midlands on March 10th from North East England to stay at my cousins and ill be attending all 4 days of the Cheltenham meeting as I do every year.:):):)
    Ian.
  • LanarkianLanarkian Posts: 7,524
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    I used to attend Cheltenham (1982 to 2001) but got fed up as the members' area was more and more squeezed to get more money and punters in. I went back last year on Gold Cup Day as a guest and my opinion did not alter one jot. I shall watch it on Channel 4 and Racing UK this year.
  • channelsurferchannelsurfer Posts: 362
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    watched it yesterday and wasnt too impressed. it dosent seem as fluid as the old C4 racing team and the blue graphics theme really isnt great. But thats just a personal opinion, others seem to like it.
  • GibsonGirlGibsonGirl Posts: 1,307
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    To the moderators.

    Please do not delete comments without warning and without providing an explanation as to why. It took me quite some time to compose my last comment (I did after all compile a list of almost 160 names of horses that I typed out myself - it was not a copy and paste job). I replied in a truthful manner and it did not contain any abusive remarks. You ought to be targeting the posts that contain gratuitous expletives, internet slang/text speak, and ones that are made to provoke other users. I have seen plenty of those that have NOT been deleted.

    Thank you.
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