Alice Plunkett, Classic

Diamond Geezer

Diamond Geezer

Gone But Not Forgotten
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May 2, 2003
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Marcus Armytage in The Telegraph

There was a time when Alice Plunkett featured so often in this column that she earned the sobriquet 'the mistress of mishap'. Incidents and accidents included a head-on car crash on the drive down to her parents' farm - the other driver was her father - and the occasion when a horse fell over some poles and, in the ensuing melee, her ear came off. The healing process included the fitting of leeches.

Alice is, of course, now married to Captain Sensible, William Fox-Pitt, who clearly keeps one hand on the tiller, and with Ollie and Thomas, her two small children, as her personal assistants, things have been going smoothly for the Channel 4 presenter.

But not that smoothly, and all it took to rekindle that old spark was a trip home to her parents, David and Celia, for the normal hectic working weekend because she was doing Channel 4 on the Saturday and had a runner at the nearby Chipping Norton point-to-point on the Sunday.

advertisementAfter a frosty night, Alice borrowed a car from her mum to nip up to the course to check it was safe to run. The boys (William - he's quite thin you know - Ollie and Tom) all stayed at home with granny because it was so cold. The pointer ran without great distinction, and after a somewhat frenetic day divided, as usual, between horses and small children, the Fox-Pitts finally got back home to Dorset.

Fast forward about three weeks. Christmas has been and gone. Alice, by now banned from driving for speeding, gets a call from her ma. "You won't believe what happened over Christmas, Alice," she said. "The car was stolen. Just checking you haven't borrowed it at all, have you?"

"No, Mum," replied Alice. "Not since the point-to-point three weeks ago." And then there was a brief silence before that tinkling sound of a penny dropping.

Celia Plunkett promptly drove the short trip to what is a point-to-point course three days a year and a working farm for the other 362 to find, randomly parked among a field of sheep, the Plunkett second-string vehicle, a white, battered Subaru - with the keys still in the ignition.
 
Just a thought, her life could be made a little less hectic if she packed in the Channel 4 gig.

She wouldn't be missed by us, would she??, and surely she doesn't need the money?
 
To be fair, Plunks is grand. She's genuinely a nice person - even if she doesn't recognise me anymore!!!!!! - and knows her stuff as far as horses are concerned. There are far worse in the job than her, let's face it!
 
But is she really interested in racing?

She gives me the impression she loves the social scene involved, but to actually bring her attention to bear on a race is much too boring.

That's just my perception, of course.
 
I thought it was a refreshing touch to see her attend to the horse's girths while still on camera after her interview with one of the winners on Saturday.
 
I wouldn't know how interested she is in the form per se, but she is definitely interested in the horses themselves. In the past she has ridden out for trainers and helped out extensively in jumping tuition, riding the animals to teach problem jumpers or babies, often in conjunction with Yogi Breisner.
 
Originally posted by Colin Phillips@Jan 29 2008, 08:50 PM
Just a thought, her life could be made a little less hectic if she packed in the Channel 4 gig.

She wouldn't be missed by us, would she??, and surely she doesn't need the money?
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You're preaching to the converted as far as I'm concerned, Colin.

I've no doubt she's a nice person but she adds nothing at all.
 
She may be avery nice lass, but she's no good as a presenter. Far too close to the racing establishment.
 
I am presuming the driving ban had not been imposed whilst she was driving her mother's car??
 
I haven't watched C4 since RUK/ATR both hit our screens again, and she doesn't seem to be on them much if at all?

She has probably frogotten more about horses than I know, and considering the unjustified fawning over Lydia Hislop certain sites engage in, I think she brings far more expertise to the world of TV Racing than some of the "broadcasters" with no background in the equine world - Luck/Hislop for instance.
 
She's probably a nice enough person in "real life", but I find her a pain in the arse on-screen.

L. Hislop (7) has ridden as an amateur, hasn't she, Useful? I agree about TRF, though, almost everytime the poor woman posts there, it sets off a wankathon.
 
I thought it was a refreshing touch to see her attend to the horse's girths while still on camera after her interview with one of the winners on Saturday.
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I thought she had caught her hair in the stirrup and was trying to get free.
 
I think there is a big gulf between being a top class event rider and horsewoman and having a handful of rides over hurdles.

Moreover Lydia Hislop has never come across as being a knowledgable horsewoman whereas Alice Plunkett has. Unless Lydia Hislop is keeping her "expertise" in this field to herself then I would suggest she is far and away below Plunkett's standard in this respect.

Also, are we completely sure Miss L Hislop (7) is the same person? I have never seen any reference to her this broadcaster's riding exploits in any profiles (eg RUK http://www.racinguk.tv/site/ThePresenters_33.asp). You would have thought they would have mentioned it?
 
There's a Miss Laura Hislop listed in the RP's trainer database, possibly the same person though she's not had any runners in the past 5 seasons.
 
I imagine then Lydia has never ridden a horse in a race - which doesn;t surprise me.
 
Lydia is very good on racing politics - horses for courses!

The Lucks do come from a horsey background so far as I know. I'm quite friendly with Nick's brother James Luck who runs one of the biggest international horse transport business - a good friend here in Suffolk is his main handler, travelling with the horses. They transport Coolmore and esp Godolphin horses. So far as I know both brothers ride - James certainly does - tho I'm not sure if either has ridden in P2P
 
I think the point here is Alice Plunkett, whether you like her style or not, is unquestionably able to provide expert analysis on the confirmation of horses, and their general well being.

I have never seen any evidence of this ability from either Mr Luck nor Ms Hislop.
 
I agree that, even if she isn't a top class presenter, Alice is a top notch horsewoman with more experience and expertise than most of the rest of them put together.

She is an accomplished event rider and has also ridden in races as well as riding out on a regular basis (as well as schooling babies and poor jumpers over fences, as already pointed out) over quite a few years. She was a regular workrider for Twiston Davies for years. As Useful says, she has forgotten more about horses than a lot of people on here would collectively know and from that angle alone offers a lot more in a presenter than plenty of others do.

I would also like to add that I would choke on my vodka and tonic if it were to be proved to me that Lydia Hislop is even an accomplished horsewoman, let alone having ridden in a race.
 
Lydia is in a different league to Alice Plunkett. I dont care if she has not ridden a horse in her life...if thats the criteria on commenting on a race then the vast majority on here would be gone.
 
She has ridden GN course and completed Badminton, but that doesn't make her a good broadcaster. I have never heard her offer any insight on form or well being of horses.
 
So what if she has ridden in a race or worked with horses. Thousands upon thousands of people do or have done that...its not as if its a particularly uncommon group of people.
 
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