It’s my belief that these can be incredibly bland, incredible interesting…or anything in between. These are just a few notes re how trainers come across when interviewed on the old magic tellybox.
By far the most honest and relevant, in my opinion, are Lieutenant Henderson and Mr O’Brien. The latter seems to be thinking aloud and mulling things over when he’s interviewed which leads to some forthright and intriguing comments whilst the former always appears laid back and happy to say whatever he likes (especially after a refreshing trip to the ‘Owners and Trainers Bar’!) – I can’t think of many other trainers who would say live on TV that a mare owned by The Queen, 2/2 over hurdles and due to run in a Listed contest in a matter of minutes, wasn’t really any good!
Mr Nicholls is always an interesting and a thought-provoking interviewee, old boy Gosden always has a glint in his eye and a decent tale to tell, Mr Charlton is polite and candid, unless Teddy Grimthorpe is within earshot and then he looks Irritated with a capital ‘I’, Alan King always seems about 10 seconds away from committing mass murder, reduced to 5 if JP McManus or one of his ‘crew’ is close by, but William Haggas and Jim Bolger, both highly intelligent men, for some reason seemingly want to put every success down to luck and play the role of simpleton in the process!
Sir Mick Stoute always gives the impression he will do a runner at any point during the interview, Dan Skelton continually wants to tell everyone how wonderful his brother is, Charlie Appleby seems a pleasant chap if not totally decisive, dear old Pip Hobbs comes across as a total gentleman but contrastly old boy Prescott as a complete and utter rogue.
Mrs Harrington is Class with a Capital ‘C’ and deserves her title as ‘The First Lady of Horse Racing’, Mr Candy like dear old Pip Hobbs presents himself as a gentleman of the highest order, David Elsworth appears constantly peeved, Richard Fahey seems so laid back you suspect someone is holding him up, David O’Meara has a glint in his eye which suggests he knows something you don’t – and he ain’t going to tell, Hugo Palmer seems a bit too suave if you ask me, but Clive Cox seems a lovely chap.
Mark Johnston seems to be continually auditioning for the role of the next Victor Meldrew, young Joseph comes across as a thoroughly decent type who is a chip off the old block, Rebecca Curtis acts like she needs to cheer up, old girl Venetia seems a lovely old stick with many a decent anecdote to tell, Harry Fry rather guarded, but Nige Twiston-Davies always, to me, has the look of a Bond villain about him – who knows what is tucked away in that blasted Duffel coat.
As for Mr Colin Tizzard…well he deserves a paragraph all to his self re how he presents himself to his public! I know I get shouted at every time I mention the run up to the ’16 King George VI Chase but why he went on every available media outlet, for 7-10 days prior to the decision being made, mulling over in front of the cameras as to whether or not Thistlecrack ran in that great race or the novice equivalent, when the decision never was his to make and he was never going to make it, baffles me. He could by all means privately advise the owners, of his opinion, but they and they alone made the Thistlecrack decision..and were always going to. Colin seems very intent on getting the message across that he is in charge. Is this a sign of his own insecurity or maybe an inferiority complex??? Contrast this behaviour to that of Lieutenant Henderson who when asked before this year’s Festival where one of his runners would go, snorted, and then revealed in a carefree tone, ‘I’ve no idea. But the owner will tell me’.
So that’s my thoughts. Anyone anything to add??? And please understand that this is how they seem to me when they appear on the magic tellybox. I’m not saying any are like this away from the glare of the camera and the glitz and the greasepaint of the show-biz world. For instance Alan King is not likely to commit mass murder quite so hastily in ‘real life’…well, perhaps.
By far the most honest and relevant, in my opinion, are Lieutenant Henderson and Mr O’Brien. The latter seems to be thinking aloud and mulling things over when he’s interviewed which leads to some forthright and intriguing comments whilst the former always appears laid back and happy to say whatever he likes (especially after a refreshing trip to the ‘Owners and Trainers Bar’!) – I can’t think of many other trainers who would say live on TV that a mare owned by The Queen, 2/2 over hurdles and due to run in a Listed contest in a matter of minutes, wasn’t really any good!
Mr Nicholls is always an interesting and a thought-provoking interviewee, old boy Gosden always has a glint in his eye and a decent tale to tell, Mr Charlton is polite and candid, unless Teddy Grimthorpe is within earshot and then he looks Irritated with a capital ‘I’, Alan King always seems about 10 seconds away from committing mass murder, reduced to 5 if JP McManus or one of his ‘crew’ is close by, but William Haggas and Jim Bolger, both highly intelligent men, for some reason seemingly want to put every success down to luck and play the role of simpleton in the process!
Sir Mick Stoute always gives the impression he will do a runner at any point during the interview, Dan Skelton continually wants to tell everyone how wonderful his brother is, Charlie Appleby seems a pleasant chap if not totally decisive, dear old Pip Hobbs comes across as a total gentleman but contrastly old boy Prescott as a complete and utter rogue.
Mrs Harrington is Class with a Capital ‘C’ and deserves her title as ‘The First Lady of Horse Racing’, Mr Candy like dear old Pip Hobbs presents himself as a gentleman of the highest order, David Elsworth appears constantly peeved, Richard Fahey seems so laid back you suspect someone is holding him up, David O’Meara has a glint in his eye which suggests he knows something you don’t – and he ain’t going to tell, Hugo Palmer seems a bit too suave if you ask me, but Clive Cox seems a lovely chap.
Mark Johnston seems to be continually auditioning for the role of the next Victor Meldrew, young Joseph comes across as a thoroughly decent type who is a chip off the old block, Rebecca Curtis acts like she needs to cheer up, old girl Venetia seems a lovely old stick with many a decent anecdote to tell, Harry Fry rather guarded, but Nige Twiston-Davies always, to me, has the look of a Bond villain about him – who knows what is tucked away in that blasted Duffel coat.
As for Mr Colin Tizzard…well he deserves a paragraph all to his self re how he presents himself to his public! I know I get shouted at every time I mention the run up to the ’16 King George VI Chase but why he went on every available media outlet, for 7-10 days prior to the decision being made, mulling over in front of the cameras as to whether or not Thistlecrack ran in that great race or the novice equivalent, when the decision never was his to make and he was never going to make it, baffles me. He could by all means privately advise the owners, of his opinion, but they and they alone made the Thistlecrack decision..and were always going to. Colin seems very intent on getting the message across that he is in charge. Is this a sign of his own insecurity or maybe an inferiority complex??? Contrast this behaviour to that of Lieutenant Henderson who when asked before this year’s Festival where one of his runners would go, snorted, and then revealed in a carefree tone, ‘I’ve no idea. But the owner will tell me’.
So that’s my thoughts. Anyone anything to add??? And please understand that this is how they seem to me when they appear on the magic tellybox. I’m not saying any are like this away from the glare of the camera and the glitz and the greasepaint of the show-biz world. For instance Alan King is not likely to commit mass murder quite so hastily in ‘real life’…well, perhaps.
