TV coverage

Bryony isn't ugly but she's no stunner. Not that looks count for too much, mind. I agree with Viking, she was very smartly attired last week.

I was pleased to see three or four of the TV guys last week wearing their checked suits. I might get another few turns out of the one I have mothballed at the back of the wardrobe for the last 20 years...

And does Cumani decide for herself what she wears? She looks stuck in a 50s Hitchcockesque time-warp.
 
Desert Orchid said:
And does Cumani decide for herself what she wears? She looks stuck in a 50s Hitchcockesque time-warp.
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[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] classic.

Was thinking that, wondering where the hell Scobie Breasley is riding and asking American GIs at the airbases for nylons,


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Wouldn't like to be paying money for Racing TV's coverage. Viewers shouldn't have to put up with split screens if coughing up 25 quid a month.

And how come the mercenary Persad is presenting from Leicester when Haydock has much more prize money?
 
I'm as big a fan of Altior as there is but I do wish the ITV people would give over with the hype.

Sure, he's beaten all comers and he's won 19 in a row (hopefully Celtic will surpass that in 2030 :lol:) but he hasn't really impressed all season. I think he's got a problem of some sort and I'm not sure it's anything to do with the trip now being too short for him.

I hope I'm 110% wrong, but I wonder if he is going over the hill.

But if any other horse had won his races as narrowly as he's been doing there would be no hype at all.

Sensationalist shite.
 
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I did not see the races live today or any ITV coverage but as Nicky said on RTV credit to the horse for doing it time after time , having missed only one engagement due to his wind op.
His sire had the distinction of having never been passed once hitting the front so like father like son.
Hurricane Fly had similar doubters, "Doubting Thomas" first reared his head this time of year I suppose.
 
I'm not crabbing Altior - at least it's not my intention - it's the incessant fawning of the ITV mob when all he's doing is winning less easily than he should be.

Maybe it's just the price we have to pay for keeping the racing on council TV.
 
TV Coverage

I couldn't see the existing thread...


Ed Chamberlin on the viewing figures:

https://www.racingpost.com/news/der...ed-the-worst-for-derby-viewing-figures/383740


He obviously takes his job very seriously and clearly cares about racing on TV so his frustrations are understandable.

I've never been a fan of the fashion slots but accept that they're needed for royal Ascot TV viewing. That said, the two fashion presenters are a class apart from their predecessors.

The Social Stable is a total waste of space for me but maybe they feel they have to cater for the numbskull immediacy of social media addicts. They should really be going in the opposite direction and finding ways of getting people to appreciate the sport for what it is and get into it longer term.

Some of the flash-bang-wallop filler items are nothing but a distraction. Again they're catering for audio-visual passers-by. The chances of them hooking one of them long-term are several thousand to one, so why bother.

Better paddock coverage, better form analysis, better tipping and fewer gimmicks would certainly be appreciated by people who tune in for the racing and not channel-hopping.

If Chris Hughes is so good get him to do something meaningful. To me he's just an enthusiast used to attract a young female audience or any numbskull who thinks Love Island is good TV.

Get rid of Luke Harvey and Brian Gleeson. Get Chapman to get serious and cut out the cr@p.

Weaver is excellent and a huge improvement on the NH programmes.

Blake has been an excellent addition too.

I would like to see Nick Luck brought back into the fold. He has a touch of gravitas now.

I would also like to see more pre- and post-race analysis, with reference to sectionals and track/pace bias.

The Insider feature rather backfired on Saturday. People passing by want to be tipped winners. It can't happen all the time but a regular profit-making feature - which obviously cannot be guaranteed - will bring in viewers.
 
They don't focus enough on the horses - before the second race they were prattling on - again - about the two in the Derby they had dedicated almost all of the morning show to, Chamberlain going round the podium 'what's your tip' - obviously he hadn't been watching in the morning as they had already given their tips, horses walking round behind them in the paddock, then they went to Chapman and Hughes - that slot really is a waste of time. I couldn't be bothered to watch after that.
Blake and Weaver are class. Love listening to their comments.
Chapman is just moronic and rude.
Harvey is just doing a Thompson and they got rid of him...........
'Ollie and Cesca'........have no idea why they are even there.
 
Just another mention about expert input.

One of the great features about some other TV sports is the expertise used.

In athletics, Michael Johnson is compulsive listening. Intelligent, articulate, considered and informative while always engaging. There's also usually in-depth pace analysis, expertly interpreted. They can tell you after a few laps of the 10,000m what the final time is likely to be be and whether it's on target for a world record or miles off it. When Kelly Holmes won her gold with what looked a late surge they were soon able to tell us that she hadn't quickened, the others had slowed and Kelly herself said later she was ignoring the others and timing her own race. There's a lesson there for jockeys.

In snooker they can superimpose lines and circles to show what path the cue-ball should take and where is its ideal finishing position.

John Gosden and Willie Mullins are compulsive listening in their post-race comments. Mullins can tell you his horse was beaten at halfway when we're watching it thinking it's cantering. None of the TV team can do that. Even when they bring in Mick Fitz or AP mid-race they're very non-committal. Occasionally they'll point to one travelling better than those around but they're usually obvious to a casual viewer.

All in all, it's just not good enough. The TV programme is more focused on being just that - a TV programme - than a serious sports programme.


PS - to whoever merged the threads, appreciated!
 
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As previously stated it is called horse racing for a reason, so concentrate on the horses.
Too many presenters spoil any show.
The post race press conference sounded most interesting so why not show it ? they do so in other sports or so I am told.
Brough Scott is past his best by date: it will happen us all but .
Jason Weaver is best placed to speak about going for home too soon in Derby but from what I saw not a dicky bird of reference; that is plain lazy by all concerned.
 
By the way, the caption at the end of the show on Saturday said they'd be at Musselburgh this Saturday coming but there's no meeting scheduled.

I'm a wee bit disappointed as I'd presumed the meeting with the £100k sprint hcap would be taking place. I think it was discussed in passing in the longshot thread but then when I checked and saw it wasn't scheduled I wondered what had happened. Then at the end of the programme it was on the caption. It's not listed at the RP site.
 
It was the Ladies Day at Musselburgh on Saturday past (although the card wasn't that great), I think the big sprint (Edinburgh Cup?) is at a meeting in August maybe. I imagine they just got the caption mixed up - think Ladies Day is usually the second week in June, I'm not sure what made them decide to hold it the same day as the Derby (although admittedly it would be unlikely to be the same horses at both meetings!).
 
The big sprint hcap was definitely on the Saturday after the Derby last year but it looks like it might have been a one-off. I have the race on file.
 
Not TV but Podcast question.

Does anybody know why Kevin Blake is no long appearing on the ATR podcast? Has there been a fracture?
 
Good old 'manners' seem to have disappeared.

Surely interrupting connections in the paddock before a race is bad-mannered.

I know people who work in television are 'very important people' but I'm waiting for the day when one of the owners or trainers tells the presenter where to stick his microphone.
 
Colin Phillips said:
Good old 'manners' seem to have disappeared.

Surely interrupting connections in the paddock before a race is bad-mannered.

I know people who work in television are 'very important people' but I'm waiting for the day when one of the owners or trainers tells the presenter where to stick his microphone.
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I agree apart from the idea of people who work in television being 'very important people'. They're not. They're jumped up punters. However, being rude to them on camera would leave people open to being shredded on social media. Someone like David Elsworth might not bother but most racing people would rather grin and bear it than come across as [justifiably] irked.
 
I did put quotes around 'very important people', DO.

You sure social media would jump on connections? Some would but there surely enough people around who would agree with them.

I think the TV people think the way that you have suggested and take advantage of people's settling for a quiet life.
 
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