New ITV racing line up

Apart from Alice and Mick Fitz the team seem to be made up mostly of the flat boys, hope they are not going to play second fiddle to the rest of them, cant believe they brought back Rishie Persad although Brough Scott is a good call but where is the lovely Alistair Downe.
 
i really dont like change (must be because i am an oldie) and have just got used to the channel 4 lot!!!!!! glad mick fitz and alice will be there but would really like alistair downe back as dobie girl has said. would be nice to see AP as well..
 
Dobiegirl said:
Apart from Alice and Mick Fitz the team seem to be made up mostly of the flat boys, hope they are not going to play second fiddle to the rest of them, cant believe they brought back Rishie Persad although Brough Scott is a good call but where is the lovely Alistair Downe.
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This... I don't watch flat racing at all :(

Fiona
 
The new format starts as of Jan 1st 2017.

It's a good job I don't have time to watch any Saturday racing that I am not attending! Can't be faffed with the flat lot that won't have a scooby about the winter game!
 
omg, Luke Harvey and Victoria Pendelton, both nice guys, but really................
Frankie Dettori, is a one liner. , a great persona, but he is not a broadcaster.
I predict disaster.
The racing post says
"ITV is believed to have paid in the region of £30 million for a four-year exclusive deal from 2017 to 2020. It hopes to recoup much of that in year one through programme sponsorship and bookmaker commercials, which the broadcaster will fight hard to defend if the government, as expected, considers banning such advertising before 9pm."

I wish the government would make up its mind.......The Lottery is not "gambling"?????????
...........but hey it supports good causes the government cant afford to pay for!... no mention of stopping "the lottery", because folk, big surprise , shock horror, ...its "government approved" gambling

If ITV can't profit from racing, it will be dropped like a hot potato.
I imagine they will struggle to get the easy money currently fed in to C4 by the Emirates, but have to go out to the ral world, and try to prove that "advertising pays"
 
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One thing i won't miss about Ch4 after this year is it's fawning over Aidan at every opportunity. Last saturday at Ascot was a disgrace, even fawning over him when his horses didn't win.

Give other trainers time in the spotlight to promote themselves and their horses. After all last saturday there were plenty of Group 1 winners running to talk about other than Aidan's horses.

Roll on NH now - no more Aidan
 
Clare Balding is a broadcasting supremo, but for some reason she did not want to remain within the racing entertainment community, really our loss, but her choice.
I must defend Rishi, as over the years he has picked up the baton, and as for Nick Luck, a great loss. The guy on C4 who was in to betting [sry forgotten his name], actually was well informed and enthusiastic. Tanya too ......
They spent four years tweaking the program till it was right, and now we have to do it all again.
Racing is a minority sport, and is linked to betting in the view of the man in the street, so I don't know who will be the target audience, and I suspect that ITV are in the same boat.
 
Racing on terrestial TV is probably doomed, it was jogging along nicely, OK audiences were not going to improve, but so what, as long as it was making a profit, why worry?
 
What will Victoria Pendleton be able to bring to the coverage that Tony McCoy and the others who haven't been taken on couldn't? Someone who's been involved in racing for a matter of months as opposed to professionals who have vast experience of varying aspects of the sport. I don't think it bodes well as to the audience they are hoping to reach.
 
Chianti said:
What will Victoria Pendleton be able to bring to the coverage that Tony McCoy and the others who haven't been taken on couldn't? Someone who's been involved in racing for a matter of months as opposed to professionals who have vast experience of varying aspects of the sport. I don't think it bodes well as to the audience they are hoping to reach.
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That's what we can't work out ............. who exactly is going to watch a specialist sports program with more "entertainers" than "experts"
I can't imagine if I were a horse racing professional that I could commentate on the Tour just because I had done a bit of cycling, its just ridiculous.
 
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I watch RUK mostly now but used to enjoy C4 as long as clare Balding wasn't on. I think it will be solely RUK from now on.
 
I think I might have to invest in RUK, today I'm having to watch racing on Paddy Power and have to put money on a race to watch it....not a great habit ( although thanks Theatre Guide for being placed...that made it less painful!)
 
Bonkers2 said:
That's what we can't work out ............. who exactly is going to watch a specialist sports program with more "entertainers" than "experts"
I can't imagine if I were a horse racing professional that I could commentate on the Tour just because I had done a bit of cycling, its just ridiculous.
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Very good point. And how many people do they think will tune in for Victoria Pendleton's words of wisdom??? Shows they are not taking it seriously.
I didn't like Channel 4 racing when it first started but I learnt to get on with it. Not looking forward to ITV racing. I haven't watched anything on ITV for years. It seems a shame they have to build up a team again and how long will they give it before they decide it's not viable and we all have to pay per view instead. I know I shouldn't be nostalgic but Julian Wilson( love him or hate him), Peter O'Sullivan and the likes of Alastair Down are much missed.
 
I was fuming today that they weren't showing the first two live races from Cheltenham....instead they showed a repeat of Deal or No Deal!

I chose to pay £10 day pass to watch the Novice Chase on Racing UK. I really hope ITV show more racing!
 
millhouse said:
Rishi is not as bad as he was originally, and has learnt an awful lot. Give the guy a break.
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I think he has improved a lot and have no problems with him, also he does tick the monirities box, which helps.

I will be watching this afternoon, I dislike change, but certainly won't miss McGrath at all.
 
Demented Elf said:
Who is planning on watching today? I am going to try a catch some of it, will be interesting to see what the dynamics will be like :)
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Me, looking forward to the racing. This mornings hack got abandoned as we were too wimpish to get a soaking. So it is TV and a lazy day. Going back to work is going to be a shock. I watched the free RUK yesterday too, idle or what.
 
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