Stewart Machin did, the video of it from Racing UK is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVU-pGI20bs

It was all very "bitty", too, with too many messy handovers between the presentation team (in the build-up and reaction, rather than the coverage of the race itself). If you're not going to have the presenter do a handover ("Here's Rishi" or something similar), then the link needs to be flawless, and so many of today's were not.

The whole show felt a bit amateur at times, I'm afraid. I think that Luck chap is absolutely hopeless and it felt that he was doing a lot more than Balding. She should have done far more of the presenting. The analysis of the race from the studio was embarrassing, frankly.

And I'm with everyone else with regard to coverage of the race itself. It all felt very distant and a bit clunky. Poor camerawork and direction.

I was interested to see the BBC-style credits at the end, too. You can see that it's an ex-BBC producer who is in charge!

Hi Ken,
The John Hurt film about Bob Champion and Aldaniti, "Champions".

The Beeb sometimes played Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwwCvl45qFA

The best parts of the coverage today were Clare Balding, Mick Fitzgerald, Ian Bartlett & Rishi Persad.

Don't get why people think Simon Holt is so good! Yes he might call the race well but he is bland he voice has no gravitas! He is not as good as Sir Peter or Big Aussie Jim at their best. It was the worst call of grand national finish. Sorry but I just think his commentary lacked something!

The best commentator today was Ian Bartlett! There was no chemistry between the commentators. The handovers were dire. Some how on the BBC the commentary team seemed to build up the excitement between them, slowly but surely!

I know you are all going to say Holt calls races error free! its not that the bothers me its his voice! He is bland he may call the races perfectly but he for me lacks gravitas! Big Aussie Jim had that yes maybe he made mistakes but you do if you lack practice which he did towards the end of BBC coverage! But his national calls were excellent!

Balding should host the show with Mick Fitz without Luck. Have paddock commentators say Bartlett and another say Ray Cochrane or whoever. With Rishi and who ever out and about!

Well if it was the Champions theme music (Carl Davis) you must have a different take on "cheesy" than me-I thought it was a magnificent piece of music and pretty much is the National.

As someone who only watches one horse race a year I can't comment on whether channel 4 are doing a good job or not, but it just didn't feel like a big event.

It was a bit strange really as channel 4 cover racing every weekend and this production team have been doing it since January in a perfectly professional manner (4 days of Cheltenham went off absolutely fine) but the production at times today was a total mess!

Whoever thought that camera shot for the chair was a good idea wants their P45! Miles and miles away and behind the fence so you couldn't see how the horses even got over it!

Clunky handovers between presenters and a race rerun that just went totally wrong just topped it all off!

I don't really have a problem with the on screen staff but today they were let down by the people on the other side of the camera.

It felt like they almost missed the start? Also there was one camera view where you couldn't see the horses go over the jump because there was a large object in between !

I wish they would stop showing horse racing. What a load of boring tosh!

Ian.

There seemed to be one moment where the view was blocked by a big screen for about 5 seconds

With regards to the picture quality it was in HD just think its different cameras that were being used. The C4 coverage was done by Visions OB who normally do Sky's Premiership and Championship football I believe they use Philips LDK cameras and I wonder with them having their regular work for Sky with both a premiership and championship game to cover Saturday and the IMG contract for premiership world feeds, that they had to use older OB units and cameras for Grand National. I would imagine that Sky would still demand their usual Gemini unit for Premiership and Atlantic unit for Championship as biggest customers.

When the BBC had it SIS Live provided all the facilities and had their super size OB1 unit along with new units OB 3 and 7 as not tied to football the cameras they use are Sony ones which I personally prefer, SIS live also have and are specialists in special and strange cameras unit

Has Ian Bartlett been used on CH4 much at all this year? Cheltenham and the odd race-course? I thought he was superb (ok going on about him again!) Missed him on the screen after the race going over each fence like previous years on the Beeb... As he isn't a 'proper' member of the ch4 team, I gather he wouldn't do this anyway but hey ho.

I didn't feel WOW it's the National this year, doubt it was because of channel 4, I think external factors (Cold outside still, snow, not feeling spring etc)... Hoiles was pretty poor tbh. I didn't think Holt was that 'startled' at the start... Came across to him for a sec, and a brief intro and the race started... sounded fine to me.

My dad is a die-hard horse-racing man and the channel change/coverage didn't effect him, he seems to like it more.... He enjoys the likes of Nick Luck (From Racing UK days etc)... Maybe the team is great for die-hards but for the casual not quite clicking... I'm not a fan of Luck myself tbh, a bit drab.

This article sums up some of the points raised on here
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/hor...-the-mark.html

The coverage was still good overall but the direction on the National race itself definitely let them down. It would have been ok to cut Simon Holt just before the start if he was not in-vision, but as they chose to have a camera-shot of him he should have had 10 seconds at least. It seemed they definitely missed the start and if they had deliberately chosen to cut to it only as they went off then it was a bad decision. I agree with the comments on the camera angles as well.

If the race did feel less 'special' then I think that is due to Channel 4 having racing in that slot every week and also the lack of fallers, particularly at the start which was a record number of jumps for the National with the full field getting over.

I think you will find yourself a lone voice on here with that thought. You would rather a commentator has gravitas than identify the right horse or choose the right phrase at the right time ? You have to ask why is Aussie Jim only a bit part player in on course commentary.

It wasn't the Champions. It was something else. the Champions is a stunning piece of music.

Ken

Would it be very cynical of me to suggest Risha is only there to fill quotas?

I think thats the one.

Ken

It seems that it was a mixed reaction to C4'S coverage yesterday. Maybe they looking at points raised over the net and so forth and look at how they can get better for the next big main event (Ascot is it)?

No it wouldn't. It would be rather silly of you.

Rishi has been on ATR, RUK and BBC. He isn't bad at all. Adds some humour to things and whilst he isnt Thommo, he does a decent job.

There next ex Beeb race is the ex C4 Epsom Derby. They should cover that without a hitch but I feel for the flat races the ratings on C4 will be down on the BBC's numbers. The grand national held up well.

Royal Ascot on C4 is going to be odd.

Ken

I didn't think it was too bad a job overall but perhaps not up to former BBC standards. Main problems for me were the presenters. I couldn't see what Nick Luck added to the presentation and wasn't impressed with Mick Fitzgerald, particularly when he droned on about the winning jockey needing to savour the occasion. We got the point first time! Please bring back John Francome.

He is a big loss.

Ken

Let's face it, as a broadcaster Channel 4 just isn't up to the level of the BBC at this type of event.

Also, the camera positions the BBC used for years were perfect - particularly Bechers and the canal turn.

It was their first go though- I'm sure they'll improve.
Holt is a master of his craft and as a non-racing specialist I enjoy Jim McGrath's input but I couldn't warm to many of the rest of them to be honest.
Balding was the only one who seemed to have that big event gravitas- don't see why she needs to be booming out of the public address system at the course as well though- too much!

I was wondering if some of the long distance shots of the horses jumping the fences was because they were worried about showing potentially fatal falls- especially at The Chair?
Playing it safe maybe?