Racing In The Media

granger

granger

Senior Jockey
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I'm starting this thread as I only found out last week that Ruby Walsh and Jessica Harrington pen a column in the Irish examiner every weekend

So a place to list any piece you find on the net that you think is worthy of mention

Some of mine below. Some will be very obvious but someone has to start it

Barry Geraghthy's Blog - http://www.attheraces.com/article.aspx?ref=redirect&hlid=522690&lid=at+the+races+blogs

Paul Nicholls - http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/

Donald McCain - http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/donald-mccain/

Gordon Elliott - http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/gordon-elliott/

Davy Russell - http://www.goracing.ie/HRI/Whats-On/NH-Ambassador/Diary-17th-February/

Ruby Walsh - http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/ruby-walsh/

Jessie Harrington - http://www.jessicaharringtonracing.com/index.php/stable-news/latest-news

Point2Point - www.p2p.ie
 
Most pertinent for Irish forumites, unsure if it can be streamed in the UK but TG4 are showing the following starting Nov 28th

For the very first time, a TV documentary takes a candid look at the everyday lives of three of Ireland’s top jockeys. ‘JUMP BOYS’ will be screened on TG4 on Wednesday, 28th November at 9.30pm
Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty and Davy Russell allowed exclusive fly-on-the-wall access into a National Hunt season from November 2011 to April 2012. The result is ‘JUMP BOYS’ – an in-depth no holds barred glimpse into one of the toughest professions in world sport.
This unique observational documentary was produced by Touchline Media for TG4 and was supported by funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Click to expand...

You tube preview

Male nudity alert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PJmOubGJFok
 
I saw a clip of it on ATR the other night-plenty of footage of the boys leaving it all hang out after getting out of the sauna/shower.
 
granger said:
I'm starting this thread as I only found out last week that Ruby Walsh and Jessica Harrington pen a column in the Irish examiner every weekend

So a place to list any piece you find on the net that you think is worthy of mention

Some of mine below. Some will be very obvious but someone has to start it

Barry Geraghthy's Blog - http://www.attheraces.com/article.aspx?ref=redirect&hlid=522690&lid=at+the+races+blogs

Paul Nicholls - http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/paul-nicholls/

Donald McCain - http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/donald-mccain/

Gordon Elliott - http://betting.betfair.com/horse-racing/gordon-elliott/

Davy Russell - http://www.goracing.ie/HRI/Whats-On/NH-Ambassador/Diary-17th-February/

Ruby Walsh - http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/columnists/ruby-walsh/

Jessie Harrington - http://www.jessicaharringtonracing.com/index.php/stable-news/latest-news

Point2Point - www.p2p.ie
Click to expand...

Walsh called the PP spot on....
 
They are also currently showing a three part documentary on the Punchestown Festival but I think the first part has already been shown
 
For the very first time, a TV documentary takes a candid look at the everyday lives of three of Ireland’s top jockeys. ‘JUMP BOYS’ will be screened on TG4 on Wednesday, 28th November at 9.30pm
Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty and Davy Russell allowed exclusive fly-on-the-wall access into a National Hunt season from November 2011 to April 2012. The result is ‘JUMP BOYS’ – an in-depth no holds barred glimpse into one of the toughest professions in world sport.
This unique observational documentary was produced by Touchline Media for TG4 and was supported by funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Click to expand...
this is being shown on channel 4 at 7am tomorrow
 
Some good Irish p2p video's up on Youtube - features on Jane Mangan, the Mares races, Sean and Donnchadh Doyle and girl jockeys to name a few.
 
Interesting article, granger.

Ruby Walsh is surprised that HRI decided to stay with ATR. He argues that the SIS/RUK bid would have been better for Irish racing, which would have got both a channel of it's own that would have a free platform in 500,000 homes in Ireland and also be shown in the UK (on what platform, and for how much?). He also says the bid would have put the marquee Irish races on RUK (how many races would that be?).

He declares a vested interest, because he participated in the bid himself. Fair enough.

I suspect electing to stay with ATR was the wiser decision. For all its faults, ATR has done a good job of raising the profile of Irish racing, which now commands a lot more attention in the UK than it used to. Putting it on its own dedicated channel would be to return it the ghetto where it was ten years ago, with zero profile outside Ireland other than on the big days.

Does it matter to the finances of racing in Ireland whether it has a higher profile or not? Surely it does, in the long run at least when revenue from betting on Irish racing will eventually have to be correlated with the volumes wagered on it.
 
Ruby sponsored by Racing UK and "wears their trousers "
Another article in a similar vein in Irish Field making the point that HRI should control their broadcasting rights and so get a cut from Betfair and offshore betting agencies in that way.
Was this the cause of the Nicholls separation as Nicholls is in the Betfair stable?
Speaking of conspiracies:-
There was also a Ruby involved in the whole JFK/ Lee Harvey Oswald saga; was there a Racing Uk presence on the Grassy Knoll?
 
From today's Irish Times:

Racecourse media rights in final furlong

Talks over the future of latest batch of media rights put on the block by Ireland’s racecourses are still going on

image.jpg



First published: Thu, Jul 25, 2013, 11:51





Talks over the future of the latest batch of media rights put on the block by Ireland’s racecourses are still going on, even though many observers were expecting an announcement by now.

The package currently being negotiated involves satellite TV, the increasingly important digital streaming and rights to pictures sold to countries outside Ireland and Britain.

State body Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) does the negotiating, although the 26 courses themselves have to ratify any deal. It recently entered into exclusive talks with Attheraces, current holder of the satellite TV broadcasting rights. It also has the streaming and international rights.

While the Attheraces bid is obviously the strong favourite, it does appear that the door is still ajar to a competing bid from Racing UK and Setanta.
The former, part of Racecourse Media Group, has the rights to most of Britain’s top tracks, including the likes of Cheltenham, Aintree and Epsom, and is known to be keen to expand over here.

The financial ins and outs of each deal are not known, but the Racing UK/Setanta venture involved a dedicated Irish racing channel shown free on the UPC platform.

This contrasts with Attheraces, which shows Irish racing along with action
from – mostly lesser known – British courses.

Interestingly, one of Irish racing’s best- known names, national hunt jockey, Ruby Walsh, made his feelings known in his most recent Irish Examiner column. Walsh first of all declared an interest by pointing out that Racing UK has sponsored him for four years and he was part of the joint bid. With that out of the way, he argued that the competing bid was a compelling proposal that would have showcased Irish racing, both here and in Britain. At the same time, he pointed out that Racing UK paid £46 million back to its 33 British courses last year. Overall, he said that not going with Racing UK represents a missed opportunity for the sport.

Fundamentally, Walsh argued that the deal would not just have been financially beneficial, but would also have promoted racing as a sport and not simply a betting product.
Click to expand...

I still think that Irish racing is better off staying with ATR rather than being on its own channel. Most people who follow Irish racing are also interested in UK racing, and an increasing proportion of UK racing people also like to keep an eye on Irish racing. How many of them would continue to bother if they had to seek it out, and possibly pay extra for it, on a separate channel?
 
Robert Hall wrote the article I referred to in Irish Field late June/early July. He too is part of Highflyer productions that Ruby is involved with.
Using the channel to control revenue from ebetting outlets is the nub of their argument.
 
I think Brian O'Connor has it right in his irishracing.com blog

August 26, 2013 by Brian O'Connor

A lot of noses appear out of joint over the media rights issue with HRI apparently bending over backwards to favour the ATR/SIS bid which has finally emerged victorious. Grumbling persists about exclusive negotiating positions, and a supposed reluctance to let the market decide, but surely an argument can be made that this deal fundamentally preserves the TV rights market which has to be important.

There is general consensus that a failure to secure the Irish racing rights would have scuppered ATR, leaving RUK in a monopoly position which in the long-term could leave Irish racing in a weaker position. After all, it’s a hard haggle when there’s only one buyer.

HRI is in something of a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t position here but only the naive can believe that a five year deal already in place between the racecourses and SIS didn’t automatically count for a lot when considering the differing offers. And just as important is what the business landscape will be when the TV rights again come up for sale: ditch ATR now, and what are the chances of having only one offer on the table next time?

Of course an entirely new player could have emerged by then – or not. But making the most of an asset requires competition, and with Irish racing’s interests currently best served by having competition in Britain, HRI’s call, allied to the not inconsiderable attraction of almost E45,000 a meeting for the racecourses, means a charge of sour grapes can be laid at the door of HRI’s critics, many of whom have been resolutely pursuing their own agendas anyway.
Click to expand...
 
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