Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Never seen anything like it.

Thick fog, impossible to make out any horses from the third last. Cameras cut to the finish line, and couldn't make out any horses there either. Nearest they got was spotting the horses down the track getting their breath back. No announcement of the winner for a couple of minutes. Then an announcement that they still didn't know who'd won, but would be trying to find out which took a few more minutes. As far as I know, the finish wasn't particularly close.

A youtube classic to come. You read it here first.

[Southport Zeb]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Heard it on the radio and seemingly got as good a view as I would have on TV. At the point I heard they had only had one race, and it was mentioned that the sponsor had got plenty of mentions by the course commentator as he it was one of the few things he actually knew about the race. The winning jockey apparently joked that he had hidden his horse behind a fence on the first lap and let the rest of the field go round before rejoining them for the finish.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

I watched it on+1 - my horse was the first one showing after they crossed the line, and the commentator said something along the lines of it may have won but who knows? My dreams of a 200 quid each way accumulator were raised, so I went straight to a results service. It came 4th.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Hard luck with the bet.

Jim McGrath retired yesterday, I noticed.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

And Simon Holt finishes at the King George meet, as ITV aren't taking him on when they take over the contract. That's a shame, he's been excellent.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Yes, he has been. He's younger than I thought. Strange.

[longeared]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Agree about Holt. Are ITV employing John Hanmer?

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Richard Hoiles will be their lead commentator, he sometimes does the 2nd slot for C4. He's quite conversational in his style.

[jwdd27]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Holt is the best in the business, so it's a surprise ITV feel that distinguishing themselves from Channel 4 is more important than having the best commentator. The viewers couldn't give a shit what channel they're watching once the race starts.

[Paul S]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

There's a piece in the Racing Post about it along with a picture.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

The TV pictures at the post were foggier. You couldn't make out any horses crossing the line.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

There were no distances published, only a finishing order, and no official time taken. There was no stewards' inquiry. It was later revealed that a stipendiary steward positioned on the winning post had been employed to assist the judge in compiling the result.

Ha ha.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Simon Holt will have enjoyed that King George. Hope it isn't the last big race he commentates on.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Great wasn't it? I'm looking forward to Thistlecrack for years to come.

They mentioned that it's Hoiles at Chepstow tomorrow for the Welsh Grand National, though Holt might well cover Kempton again.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

I didn't see the Welsh National, but assume Holt covered it because he was in front of the camera in a nice sequence looking back at Channel 4 Racing. Had a decent face for TV too.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Tubby Isaacs wrote: I didn't see the Welsh National, but assume Holt covered it because he was in front of the camera in a nice sequence looking back at Channel 4 Racing. Had a decent face for TV too.

No, he stayed at Kempton, Holes presented from Chepstow, and the commentary was the feed from the course, by Ian Barnett. I think this is what they did last year too.

[longeared]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

This betting fellow on ITV is seriously irritating.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Looked a bit too much of a "character" in the bit I caught. Might have been just nerves. I suppose we're lucky they didn't employone of those "characters" off betting adverts.

John McCrirrick was too much of a character for about 30 years. Strange to think though that before him, TV almost seemed embarrassed about the betting side of racing. Julian Wilson, Brough Scott, John Oaksey were hard enough to imagine gambling on horses, let alone on anything else.

[Paul S]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

On the same day Chelmsford City racecourse announced it had been given planing permission to build a brand new main stand and Europe's first floodlight turf track. With a casino as well. Only this time the stand will be on the outside of the course rather than the inside.

Clicky linky thing here

[KGR]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Within three weeks we have lost the jockeys involved in the two most famous Grand Nationals of all time.

John Buckingham steered Foinavon past the pile up at the 23rd in 1967 to victory at 100/1. He died, aged 76 on December 22. And yesterday we lost Brian Fletcher, who brilliantly rode Red Rum to that unforgettable victory over Crisp in 1973. That was the first of Red Rum's three wins, and was the one where Crisp, carrying two stones more than every rival, led by 30+ lengths before being caught on the line by a perfectly-timed Fletcher chase in a record time. Fletcher and Red Rum then triumphed again in 1974.

Fletcher also won in 1968 on Red Alligator aged just 20 years old, having remounted to finish third on the same horse in that aforementioned Foinavon race.

Was this mentioned on the BBC News? No, instead we got a glorified trailer for a Hollywood film, masquerading as news. And it was barely mentioned on in passing on Sportsday, a dedicated sports news show at 10:30 on the BBC news Channel. I suspect Sky Sports News would not have mentioned it either, being much less interesting than transfer gossip from Hull City or Bournemouth.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

I haven't watched ITV 4's coverage for a few weeks, but it's settled down a lot I think; they're having fun, giving some good info and context, and Hoiles is quite a thoughtful, informative commentator. I quite like the fact that they go to Fitzgerald and others (Ruby Walsh just now) during the race for an analysis, they normally spot something interesting.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

johnr wrote: I haven't watched ITV 4's coverage for a few weeks, but it's settled down a lot I think; they're having fun, giving some good info and context, and Hoiles is quite a thoughtful, informative commentator. I quite like the fact that they go to Fitzgerald and others (Ruby Walsh just now) during the race for an analysis, they normally spot something interesting.

Shit. Many Clouds has just died after beating Thistlecrack for the first time. Absolutely gutted.

[longeared]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Ah, fuck. One of the great National winners in modern times.

[Paul S]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

Just bought my ticket for this years Cheltenham Gold Cup. I went for the first time a few years ago and loved every minute of it. Having been to both Cheltenham and the Grand National I would pick Cheltenham every time as the atmosphere is better. Plus you don't get the stag and hen do's quite so much.

[johnr]

Anyone just been watching Channel 4 Racing?

I've been tempted, but on the TV it always seems like you're miles from the action, and can't see much. I like going to the smaller tracks - Fontwell's good - so you can get on the rails and see it all close up. Looking back at those reruns of, say, Desert Orchid, there always appears to be a closer proximity of the crowd to the racing than nowadays. I'd be interested to hear your take.