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TV coverage

These distinctions don’t apply in English as spoken in Ireland, Simmo. Probably because in Gaeilge the same verb serves for both meanings.

But maybe I should pre-book a grammar course and go get some learnings.
That is interesting to know. I am happy to give the Irish a bye then!!
 
I agree in principle but there are so many things they could do so much better and with better personnel.
Exactly. Focus on the horses and stories about the horses. Adele is very good at pointing out traits horses had and the whole panel said city of troy looked fantastic before the Derby. This is the kind of info that is interesting and helpful. Too many have clear bias towards certain stables and are lukewarm when aidan wins another biggie. Just do the basics right and only add domething that is useful or informative. Rant over.
 
The BBC have an odd take on positive discrimination.

They might argue that recruiting Clare Balding struck a blow for women - not women on your local council estate - but women nevertheless. 😂

And I think I read the other day that Rishi Persad is from some well-connected wealthy family.

Having said that, Alex Scott grew up in a tower block near me (I lived in London Docklands at the time) in Poplar, so it's not all one-way socio-demographic traffic, or not quite, anyway.
Sir alex Ferguson was from a council estate in govan glasgow and turned out to be the best man manager ever imho. Matt Busby,bill Shankly the same background. I don't care where they come from just can they do the job they are hired to do.
 
The BBC have an odd take on positive discrimination.

Up here if you speak Gaelic you walk into a job at BBC Scotland.

That said, the Gaels tend to be well-educated, not unlike the Irish, and very good speakers, again not unlike the Irish, so I don't mind that they are on TV. I just mind that equally good people might be overlooked in the process.
 
Watched the ATR coverage of Longchamp this afternoon. Tom Collins is an excellent pundit when it comes to American racing -he gets it and has a deep understanding of the subject.When it comes to European racing his edge is eroded and he comes across as a bad loser.
Martin Kelly bores me to tears-he goes through the motions and has no passion for racing.
 
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I find the mute button to be invaluable when watching the racing on ITV/ATR.
They also seem to see 'tipping tom' as the new messiah but he is no better than the other losers on mainstream TV when it comes to picking winners.
I cannot understand how some punters follow racing tipsters - take a look at the racing post naps table for today as an example 57 tipsters and only 2 had winning selections!!!!
 
I find the mute button to be invaluable when watching the racing on ITV/ATR.
In all seriousness, if watching racing with the volume up was the Law, you'd all be rid of me - I'd go do something else instead.

Most of the reason why I hardly ever go racing anymore is I can't mute the tannoy at the track.

ITV Racing televise more races than ever which is good, but the talking heads that accompany it are another story.
 
In all seriousness, if watching racing with the volume up was the Law, you'd all be rid of me - I'd go do something else instead.

Most of the reason why I hardly ever go racing anymore is I can't mute the tannoy at the track.

ITV Racing televise more races than ever which is good, but the talking heads that accompany it are another story.
Nah from what you've said it's more cos you are cheap & you are getting too old to try climbing the fence... 🤣
 
Whatever you think of the inbetween race coverage (and I detest it to the point that I literally switch off between races) I cannot remember a terrestrial channel broadcasting anywhere near as many actual races as ITV do via ITV Racing on ITV1 and ITV4.

The BBC and C4 never even came close.

It has to be the optimal outcome for the racing viewer.
 
I'm not defending them either as I don't think the coverage is good enough however compared to almost every other sport they have to do a lot. The fact they have in flat racing a minute or two of racing (longer over jumps) and 35 mins in between means naturally much of it is going to be waffle and filler, that's multiplied in todays TV culture of no opinions allowed. I think I'd flick anyway and so would a lot of people, it's Saturday, there's football, golf, GAA, other racing meetings, it's a very hard sport to sell with punditry. It's also a major reason why I almost never go racing anymore. Other than busy festivals and a few good meeting locally through the year, its a lot of nothing happening for 90% of the time you are there while at home you have more options
 
The main appeal for what I would bet is a majority is the betting.

But if the word on street is that bookies will ban you & ask for more details than a mortgage application before handing over your winnings then it will continue to decline until that changes or it withers to more like point to point.

If the tv coverage was honest it would focus much more on the various betting angles and give a better overview of the racecourse facilities to encourage people to go on course.
 
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ITV don't control the bookmakers, Pawras. They provide the coverage.

When you say, "focus much more on the various betting angles", can you expand on what you mean by that, or give an example?

If anyone needs to know how and when to place lay the dual Derby winner successfully they can always pop on this forum. 😂
 
Yeah but bookmaker behaviour, at least tacitly supported by the gov, will mean a reduction in interest in the sport & ergo viewing figures

If one of the dobbins with a mic even made the comment on a steamer that early backers could now lay that off for a guaranteed profit/green book, I'd think there was a glitch in the matrix.
 
I hear you, fella.

We've had (or we had) a very liberalised gambling sector. Each and every year that goes by now is a case of the nanny state trying to claw back controls, that some would say they were too easy to de-regulate or give away in the first place. The proliferation of gaming adverts being one example.

Where does it stop, where did it start, and where did it all go wrong in between, eh.

Bookmakers seem to be the first to tell punters to take more time to think and control themselves to be as responsible as possible.

When it comes to the bookmakers paying their fair share, either to central government or back into racing, a very different approach comes to the fore. An approach that wants to take very little responsibility.

Who really owns these utter bastewards anyway? There must be a face behind the AI technology somewhere? Anyone seen Denise down the local boozer lately? Get them in the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committee on a daily basis I reckon.
 
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I can only see this as a good thing. Whilst I might not like a lot of the coverage (or lack of coverage - I'd prefer to see more analysis pre race), having it on one of the main two TV channels can only be a good thing, and as mentioned previously on this thread, we're getting more racing on terrestrial TV than ever before.
 
I was dozing a little and may have misheard. Did Matt Chapman just offer Soumillon some sort of gamble, the winners prize being Soummies wife? Shirley not?
 
Relatively interesting discussion on the CS tactical options just now on the Morning Line between Weaver and Bell, then Chapman decided it wasn't all about him and starts jumping around like the fool that he is waving a flag while JW was speaking. First time I've watched the show in a year and now I'm back to the golf.
 
I'm delighted to announce I watched every race at Ascot yesterday on the televisual unit which I proudly own and frankly doesn't get much use.

Admittedly I only ever tuned in at post time, watched the races on mute, and switched off the instant they passed the post, meaning the telly was only actually on a grand total of of about 15-20 minutes all afternoon, but I can't knock ITV Racing for the number of races they screen.
 

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