Royal Ascot would not be the same without Gok Come to think about it if ITV had Gok and Chappers for Royal Ascot I reckon the viewing figures would go through the roof
Mark Chapman on my TV screen unless necessary means another size 8 brogue through said screen!!!! God save me from further dumbing down of racing coverage; let's invite Piers Morgan, Katie Hopkins and reach the basement. Love Gok!!!
Chappers is superb. Only presenter who asks people direct questions they can't dodge about their horses. He's also hilarious with gambles being landed. His commentary around the Captain Lars race was hilarious 'Michael Bell ding dong that's paid for Christmas'
Hilarious, surely not? Reading the last two posts there is certainly a full range of 'likes' and 'dislikes' on this section of the forum, which is as it should be. Access to actually 'watch' a race is all I ask for, I can quite easily hit the 'mute' button if commentaries, etc., get a bit irritating? There's plenty to read-up on horseracing from good professional journalists during the course of a day, and that includes comments from well-qualified people on this very forum. No need to get tee-ed off half the time with the audio stuff?
With the exception of the race itself and the mounting yard comments, the interval between races is draining in the extreme. I'm with Swanny on this one, just give me what's relevant to the event itself. Gok, fascinators, and the uninformed tips from some well endowed bimbo from a second rate soap opera are about as useful to horse racing an ashtray on a motor bike. As if some sheila with nipples the size of grapes, that stand silhouetted against a thin, filmy blouse, is going to make me make me change my mind when it comes to the punt. And they can stop flashing that milky, white flesh of her cleavage all over my wide screen television screen as well. I have better things to do that spend most of my afternoon rubbernecking at quality hooters.
Fantastic news as far as I’m concerned. Channel 4 these past couple of years has been dire. Poor production and types put in front of the camera who are dull, tiresome, robotic and offer no analytical opinion whatsoever (top of the list being Graham Cunningham, Mick Fitzgerald, Richi, Gina whatever her name is, Tom Lee and that new chap A.P. something or other). There viewing figures have also confirmed just how awful the whole show has become. My advice to the new execs would be to get back as many of the ‘old guard’ as possible. They knew how to make an entertaining production. As I’ve said before ITV are trying to turn ITV4 into a mini sports channel as, off the top of my head, they currently have various rights to football, darts, snooker, bowls, tennis, brum-brum racing, bike riding and for the camper element, rugby. Horse Racing will be a valuable addition to this list.
Well, SBC, let's hope you're right with ITV. Tell me, do Simon Holt, Graham Cunningham, et al, actually work for Channel 4? I always thought they were part of a consultancy firm, the name of which escapes me? If this is correct, then one or two of the 'unliked ones' could well return with ITV?
Aren’t they all (Cunningham, Simon Holt et al) simply employed by the production company that makes the programme and has the rights to broadcast racing until 31 December 2016??? I didn’t think any of them were actually employees of Channel 4.
up until 2012 on some Saturdays there was live horse racing on BBC1 and channel 4. from next year the majority of Saturday meetings will be on a minor, non HD, freeview channel. I can't really see how this can be considered good news, but since terrestrial coverage has been preserved for a further 4 years I will not be too critical. John Francome may well be right though when he suggests this could be racing's last decent TV deal. Despite the naive optimism from the BHA I really dont think viewing figures will increase, even for the ITV1 meetings and I doubt ITV would then renew in the future. There is probably no way back with channel 4, the BBC have just given up sport completely and so this is probably as good as it gets. Might as well enjoy the ride!
I don't! Always switch over whenever he talks about fashion, but if he happens to do it whenever the camera zooms in on a sexy woman, I sure will have a peek. It would be great news if Alistair Down was part of ITV's coverage.
Here, here. I always watch the racing with the remote control at hand and these days I do just tend to watch the race, possibly some of the inane prattle by the winning jockey and trainer; and then find something better to do until the next race. Like me, you are not a dedicated follower of fashion when the annual Royal Ascot clothes horses are foisted on us. What do you mean “second rate soap opera”? Are there any other types? I will argue that the good news here is that the powers-that-be in racing extracted the maximum money for the rights that they could, so that money should help fund the racing product. Presumably they will be similarly ruthless when the rights packages owned by At The Races and Racing UK come up for renegotiation. I think you have really hit the nail well and truly on the head there. I do not see how ITV are going to make the numbers add up but the inks is dry on the contract so I wonder if they have some big name sponsors lined up for The Grand National, Cheltenham and Royal Ascot. The ignorance of the people that run racing never seems to abate. They always brag about the attendance figures for racing but seem to blatantly disregard the fact that all those people at the tracks cannot be watching at home – this is not France!
Chappers, Alistair Down, if they could infuse Gary 'the Voice of Ireland' O'Brien with some personality then i'd throw him into the mix as well. If they keep Graham Cunningham on board i'll not watch it. Plenty of other things to do on a Saturday and i usually have my biggest bets in Ireland anyway so ATR covers that well enough already.
Agree with Gary O'Brien Bob. Real nice man and very well spoken, is well respected within the game, here in Ireland anyway and can get the answers out of them in a very subtle way, friend like. Not sure he will be too pushed on the move though but we shall see.
Here's a piece from Mike Cattermole on the subject: http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/...-january-13-extraordinary-times-for-tv-racing
