TV coverage

AAAaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh...

FFS!

We're only five minutes into the programme and already they're talking shite.

The Last Samuri: "He's 12lbs higher here because of what he did here [in the Grand National]..."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo!!!!!

He's 12lbs higher here because of what he did in the Grimthorpe last year. He was 12lbs well-in in the National (in which he ran a few pounds below form and was outstayed by RTW).

Lazy. Fuckin lazy.
 
And there's more...

Harvey: He [Vibrato Valtat] is now at his highest level...

Check his form, Luke. This time last season he was coming down from 162 to 161 having been regarded as an Arkle/JLT/Ryanair horse. Now he's off 152, which probably explains why he's in a handicap.

Lazy. Fuckin lazy.
 
AAAaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhhhhhh...

FFS!

We're only five minutes into the programme and already they're talking shite.

The Last Samuri: "He's 12lbs higher here because of what he did here [in the Grand National]..."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo!!!!!

He's 12lbs higher here because of what he did in the Grimthorpe last year. He was 12lbs well-in in the National (in which he ran a few pounds below form and was outstayed by RTW).

Lazy. Fuckin lazy.



The lack of basic knowledge by people presenting racing on tv is appalling, coverage is littered with basic errors. Olly Bell should be embarrassed at the above error but I doubt there was anyone capable of correcting him (certainly not Harvey), which is disappointing.
 
The lack of basic knowledge by people presenting racing on tv is appalling, coverage is littered with basic errors. Olly Bell should be embarrassed at the above error but I doubt there was anyone capable of correcting him (certainly not Harvey), which is disappointing.

Exactly. You'd never have got that kind of ignorance with Jim McGrath.
 
Bellshill took a fall at the first schooling fence there!!


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Yorkhill not too clever over the first three either but warmed to the task. Fitzy said John Francome had made the point that Yorkhill jumping downhill fences is a bit of a worry as his rear end is always high.
 
With the European Indoor Athletics championships on TV at the moment I'm reminded of the stark difference in the quality of analysis between it and racing on TV.

I've said before, the quality of the analysis helps make the sport more interesting - same with the snooker - yet for some reason what we get for racing and, arguably to an even greater extent, football, is nothing short of dire.

Luke Harvey should be good. He's an ex-jockey and now a trainer. Yet his analysis of horses' appearance and progress is dreadful and there's next to nothing in the way of analysis of in-race tactics.

I remember having the honour of standing next to the parade ring at Newbury in the company of jinnyj and her analysis of horses' conditioning, gait, demeanour, etc, was mindblowingly insightful. Why we can't get that sort of analysis on TV? Gina Bryce (was that her name?) was excellent for the short time she was with C4.

Ruby Walsh's insight into race tactics is also second to none and we get him now and again so his appearances are to be treasured.

Much of that is down to experience and Harvey has plenty of it so why the best we can get from him is "I really like this one there" is little short of pathetic.

Rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator of viewer intellect, why can't ITV take advantage of their fresh start and offer something meaningful in the way that snooker, athletics and even rugby do?

I'd have a half-hour closing period on sectional analysis - or even a separate evening and/or midweek form review programme, perhaps on a Wednesday evening with someone like Phil Smith in attendance, offering video reviews of the most meaningful performances.
 
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With the European Indoor Athletics championships on TV at the moment I'm reminded of the stark difference in the quality of analysis between it and racing on TV.

I've said before, the quality of the analysis helps make the sport more interesting - same with the snooker - yet for some reason what we get for racing and, arguably to an even greater extent, football, is nothing short of dire.

Luke Harvey should be good. He's an ex-jockey and now a trainer. Yet his analysis of horses' appearance and progress is dreadful and there's next to nothing in the way of analysis of in-race tactics.

I remember having the honour of standing next to the parade ring at Newbury in the company of jinnyj and her analysis of horses' conditioning, gait, demeanour, etc, was mindblowingly insightful. Why we can't get that sort of analysis on TV? Gina Bryce (was that her name?) was excellent for the short time she was with C4.

Ruby Walsh's insight into race tactics is also second to none and we get him now and again so his appearances are to be treasured.

Much of that is down to experience and Harvey has plenty of it so why the best we can get from him is "I really like this one there" is little short of pathetic.

Rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator of viewer intellect, why can't ITV take advantage of their fresh start and offer something meaningful in the way that snooker, athletics and even rugby do?

I'd have a half-hour closing period on sectional analysis - or even a separate evening and/or midweek form review programme, perhaps on a Wednesday evening with someone like Phil Smith in attendance, offering video reviews of the most meaningful performances.

Luke Harvey is quite dreadful - passable on ATR but on ITV a combination of trying too hard and incompetence - yesterday including mistaking Daryl Jacob for Tom Scudamore .
 
I'm open to offers! I actually quite like the coverage but I do wish they'd show more paddock coverage. I really do back most of my winners by looking at them. A few weeks ago I backed 5 at our local point to point just by picking those with big feet as the going was a bog!
 
Yes, Harvey is a disgrace. Apart from an evident lack of brain power, it seems to me that he's bone idle as well, and can't be bothered to prepare.

I can remember the days when he did a couple of early morning slots on radio five, just before the news. He just used to make stupid remarks and giggle.

I assume that it's his public school background and contacts that keep him alive in broadcasting, it certainly isn't talent.
 
I'm open to offers! I actually quite like the coverage but I do wish they'd show more paddock coverage. I really do back most of my winners by looking at them. A few weeks ago I backed 5 at our local point to point just by picking those with big feet as the going was a bog!

I'd heard that big feet are an indicator.
 
I know where you're coming from archie but it was on too late at night. I used to miss it during the day when I was working and relied on the evening highlights to see where my money went but having to get up at 6am to get to work meant late night highlights were no use to anyone in that position. I'd have thought people attending the meeting would want to get to their kip either earlier in the evening or as soon as they got home from the pub.

I imagine nowadays they accept that most people can access the replays via all sorts of media: youtube, bookies' sites, catch-up TV, etc.
 
I used to record the highlights programmes while I was away and then review the whole lot at the weekend. They were also handy revision before the next year's Festival. Toying with getting RUK day passes as they have highlights programmes.
 
I watched the whole of last year's festival a week ago last Friday on the Jockey Club site. Every race, start to finish.
 
Mick Fitz. Not sure there is a sentence that he could construct that wouldn't infuriate me. ITV coverage all about shambling.
 
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