Potential clashes with F1 next season
From RP
RACING faces an anxious wait to find out the impact on Channel 4's coverage of the sport after Formula One was added to the channel's sports stable for 2016.
While the ten Grand Prix races to be covered live by the channel, which snapped up the sport after the BBC gave up its rights early, have yet to be confirmed there are potential clashes, not least with the British race at Silverstone on the same weekend as the Darley July Cup at Newmarket.
Channel 4 is contracted to show practice sessions, which take place on Fridays and Saturdays, and Saturday qualifying as well as the Grand Prix races on Sunday.
Other potential high-profile clashes could occur on Guineas weekend with the Russian GP in Sochi, while the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on July 2 falls on the same weekend as the Austrian race.
David Stevens of Coral said: "We would be highly disappointed if the Coral-Eclipse was not centre stage on Channel 4 that afternoon. It is one of the highlights of the summer and was won this year by horse of the year Golden Horn, the Derby and subsequent Arc winner."
Both Channel 4 and its racing team said the scheduling has still to be fine-tuned but were unable to give assurances that one sport would not be relegated to digital sister channels More4 and E4 if clashes proved unavoidable.
Hannah Walker, Channel 4 racing's spokeswoman, said: "Regarding Formula One scheduling we will be working with all the rights-holding partners to maximise interest in our sports together."
There is history of racing working closely with another sport when Channel 4 had cricket rights and racing fans Mike Atherton, the former England captain, and the late Richie Benaud made regular appearances on the Morning Line.
Formula One has some racing connections, with Bernie Ecclestone owning horses, and commentator and former team boss Eddie Jordan often seen racing at Windsor and Ascot.
James MacLeod, Channel 4's head of press and publicity, said: "We'll be working alongside our rights holding partners to make sure the different properties work together to maximise both audience and impact of all our sports events.
"We're delighted to have a fantastic range of premium live sport on Channel 4 in 2016, which will include the biggest events in racing, the Rio Paralympic Games and live Formula One."
Channel 4's three-year deal with Formula One is unlikely to strengthen the position of its racing team in the current negotiations over the new racing media rights deal which is set to be decided early next year for a four-year deal that starts in 2017.
Last weekend there were rumours ITV was in pole position to win the Formula One rights, but losing that race may further strengthen the channel's resolve to take horseracing.
Channel 4 Racing has struggled with its viewing figures but has moved to bolster interest, adding recently retired jump legend Tony McCoy as a pundit for big meetings and getting presenter Clare Balding to commit to more shows next year.
best one I ever had was at Hereford, the commentator kept calling the horse I had taken ( "Lucky Again" ) Lucky Blue" - confused the hell out of me, mostly because I had also looked after "lucky blue" at a different yard....
