Champions Day & Channel Four Presenters

There are, I admit, times when I’m standing in the pouring rain, on a wet Monday afternoon with a couple of hundred other racegoers when I wonder why I bother following this sport of horse racing.

Then again there are days, like last Saturday, when I know there is nowhere in the world I would rather be. 

I’m referring, of course, to British Champion’s Day at Ascot last Saturday, where I experienced one of the best atmospheres at a racecourse ever. For one it seemed over 90% of those present were actually there for the racing.

Although there were five championship races most were there to see the one race, indeed the one horse, the mighty Frankel who was there to make his last appearance on a racecourse.

However it almost didn’t happen as the wet weather threatened the horses participation in the race and was dependent on connections walking the course on Saturday morning.

As Racing For Change’s Rod Street put it to me afterwards it was “squeaky bum time” – imagine the sense of anti-climax has Frankel not run.

Both the pre-parade ring and parade ring were surrounded by massive crowds wanting to get a glimpse of the unbeaten wonder horse, something that added another irony to the day.

Excelebration after winning the QEII

The race before Frankel’s was the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over the mile, the very race Frankel won last year and it was won in devastating style by the horse who has lived in Frankel’s shadow, Excelebration. A brilliant, gutsy horse in his own right who would have been an undoubted superstar had he not been of the same generation as the once in a lifetime horse.

Even on Saturday, the day he wasn’t racing against Frankel he still managed to be overshadowed and many at Ascot missed the brilliant turn of foot, reminiscent of Sea The Stars in his Arc run, which salvaged the race from a seemingly impossible position.

As Frankel entered the parade ring he was greeted by applause, not unprecedented at Ascot, what was unprecedented was the cheers and applause as he came out onto the track, although there was an amusing moment when some racegoers applauded his brother Bullet Train as he led the runners out in the second colours of the owner.

After the parade the runners set off to the start, all apart from Frankel who held back and slowly cantered past the packed stands to milk the appreciation of the fans, it was almost as if he was doing a lap of honour before the race.

Of course the race itself was heart stopping as Frankel almost fell out of the stalls, giving four to five lengths to his rivals and Ian Mongan on Bullet Train, supposedly in as the pacesetter, had to do som quick thinking to drop back and find his stablemate.

Of course the worries were unfounded and the roar of the crowd told you what was happening as he pulled upsides the defending champion Cirrus Des Aigles before edging clear to make it 14 wins from 14 races.

The crowds went mad, looking from my high vantage point you could see people running towards the rails so they could get a glimpse of the superstar.

One thing I really like though was the second and third, Cirrus Des Aigles and Nathaniel were both given a rapturous welcome back from the crowd, who appreciated what good horses they were and their contribution in making it a competitive race.

It was a brilliant atmosphere, it’s a shame it cannot be bottled.

Channel Four have finally announced their presentation team for next year, a mixed bag with some surprises.

It is, of course, no surprise Nick Luck will be there as a main presenter alongside Clare Balding. There were some surprises in the “supporting” team.

The biggest surprise for me was the inclusion of Emma Spencer, who for me is the most lightweight member of the team, both physically and as a presenter. I’m told by many that she is considered pretty and “eye-candy” although that is something I fail to see, as the saying goes beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Graham Cunningham was the surprise inclusion in the team, he’s an astute analyst not afraid to have an opinion and I can envisage some chippy exchanges with Jim McGrath and Mick Fitzgerald who will be the other paddock commentators.

The dropping of John McCririck has sparked some debate but it cannot really be a major surprise, he really is past his sell-by date and, unfortunately he has become a caricature of himself.  His rant at being omitted from the line-up exemplifies why he was omitted.

Three of the other droppings from the team are more questionable.

Alastair Down isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, like an avuncular Uncle, sometimes tetchy he wasn’t really a TV natural but his way with words and his passion for national hunt racing was unsurpassed.

Mike Cattermole is a very accomplished presenter and a very decent chap, as demonstrated by his very graceful reaction to his not being included in the line-up (Take note McCririck) and I think his omission is a mistake especially when Spencer is being retained.

The dropping of Derek Thompson is also something of a mystery, yes he is a Marmite man, but from a TV producers perspective he is an absolute Godsend. He will do the interviews nobody else wants to, he can get across the atmosphere and work the crowd and, most importantly from a TV production perspective if you need somebody to fill for 23 seconds he will give you exactly 23 seconds, not a second more, not a second less.

This brings us onto the other Marmite character, Matt Chapman – who isn’t in the team. This may come as a surprise but I am slightly disappointed by this.

Yes I know I have been Matt’s biggest critic over the years but a “tamed” Matt would have been a good addition to the team.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, when he plays it straight Matt is one of the best interviewers we have in the sport, he can get even the most reluctant of trainers to open up.

However Matt is his own worse enemy in that he tries to be controversial, he always denies this, but he does and it is so frustrating. If he could just calm himself, reign himself in, he would have been a shoe-in for a Channel Four role and a great addition to the team – it’s a terrible waste.

It’s good to see Simon Holt and Richard Hoiles will continue to be in the team, Richard once again showed why he is head and shoulders our best commentator with his excellent call of Frankel’s race as Ascot.

I am also disappointed there is no role for Stewart Machin in the line-up.

A Champion Days Racing

Ignoring the little matter of Christophe Soumillon’s whip ban, more of that anon, there can be little doubt that the first British Champions Day at Ascot can justifiably claim to have lived up to its billing of “The Greatest Show On Turf”

Of course the organisers had a little outside help in that the weather God’s were incredibly kind and there was the presence of arguably the greatest horse of all time, Frankel.

However even the most determined Newmarketphile, even the most cynical sceptic must accept that yesterday went really well and once again Ascot proved itself the perfect venue of a major race meeting.

Rod Street and his team must be justifiably proud of the way the day turned out, although they must also be cursing the BHA in terms of the timing of the introduction of the new whip rules.

Frankel crossing the line

The balance of the days racing was good, although it may be worth considering a 45 minute gap between the two feature races as it seemed we were thrown into the Champion Stakes all too soon after Frankel’s impressive victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.

My biggest concern as the day approached was the on course presentation, my fear were unfounded. Back in August I was very critical of Ascot’s use of Matt Chapman’s on Shergar Cup day and I was equally worried when I heard he was to front the on-course presentation for Champions Day.

Those of you who read my blog last week will recall my reservations, although they were tempered with the comment that if anybody could pull it off then Matt could and pull it off he did.

I am happy to admit I was wrong and I believe Matt managed to get it right on the button. OK there were a couple of occasions when I feared his natural exuberance may have gotten the better of him but no he was good.  Robert Cowell was also a good choice as the straight man to Matt.

My only question about the presentation team was the “value” added by Amanda Davies and I still cannot help but feel she was included as the “token totty”.

I must admit I also had slight concerns about the use of Mike Vince for the on-course commentary, not least because Mike gets very little live racecourse commentary options.

Speaking to Mike beforehand, and I’m sure he will not mind me saying this, he was understandably nervous, especially by the final 29 runner contest. Mike was not helped by the fact, with coverage by BBC TV and radio as well as the Racetech commentator, none of the “official” commentary boxes were available and he had to make do with a makeshift position short of the finishing line.

Because of his makeshift position he did not have full use of the multiple camera shots the other commentators had.

In the circumstances Mike did very well indeed, his calls for the Championship races were absolutely fine and he was able to link in with the presentation team.

He also made a very good job of the final contest, considering the pictures and angles he had to work from and he should be rightly pleased with his afternoons work.

The only real gripe I would have about the presentation is it seemed to take precedence over the judge announcing the details of the result. On more than one occasion we had to wait for the winning distances and race times until after a winner had been “called back in”. It may sound insignificant but those details are important and need to be disseminated as quickly as possible, but that is a minor gripe in the scheme of things.

Ascot, once again, proved more than capable of hosting a major international meeting and it is certainly a more “user friendly” venue than Newmarket.

Much as I love Ascot I do think consideration should be given to alternating the meeting between the north and south, if only to give racegoers based in the north the opportunity to watch such high class racing live. Although, selfishly, I am more than happy if it does permanently reside at Ascot.

One thing that struck me yesterday was how popular the parade ring was. There may have been just over 26,749 at Ascot yesterday but the numbers around the parade ring were akin to those seen at the Royal Ascot where the total numbers are far higher.

Of course for all the positives and plaudits of the day, as well as the high class racing, the day was overshadowed by the ban and withholding of fees for Christophe Soumillion following his victory on Cirrus Des Aigles in the Champion Stakes.

Much has been written about the new whip rules in the last week and it is clear some compromise needs to be reached. So to save the egos getting in the way here is the solution.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with the new rules so a “count” should remain in place, whether the current limit is correct is a moot point, we have not had any three mile slogs in the mud since their introduction. Retain the “count” but remove the final furlong restriction as it is abundantly clear it is difficult for the riders to judge when they have crossed the furlong marker.

The penalties need to be effective but it is clear the new penalties are too draconian for minor infringements. I would therefore retain the ban guidelines as they are now but would only introduce the withholding of fees and prize money for serious or repeated breaches. By serious I mean where the number of hits exceeds the limit by 50% or more (rounded up) or where a rider has a third breach in a rolling 12 month period.

Finally, Paul Roy should do the decent thing and resign. He has lost what little remaining credibility he may have had and, frankly his performance on RUK yesterday afternoon was an embarrassment.      

My coverage of British Champions Day

Marmite Racing

I have to admit I am a fan of the well known yeast extract product which people are said to either love or hate.

Marmite also links three of the most contentious subjects in racing, namely Derek Thompson, Matt Chapman and The Shergar Cup.

Derek Thompson or, as he likes to be called, Tommo seems to have found a niche presenting “Tommo TV” where he acts as a general all round entertainer and, like him or not, he does have this uncanny knack of engaging with the crowd, something even his most vocal detractors will grudgingly acknowledge.

Last week he was plying his trade at Brighton’s three day festival of racing – giving away freebies (of course none financed from his legendary deep pockets) and hijacking any likely looking suspect be they in a restaurant or by the parade ring, especially if they happened to have long legs and breasts. Personally, I don’t mind Thompsons brand of bonhomie . . . . in moderation.

I agree the Tommo approach and style is no good for the big festivals and major meetings but for the increasing number of family fun days he is the ideal host and he can engage with the first time racegoer. More seasoned racegoers can find him too much and even though I can cope with him in moderation, I had a period last year when I was at the same course as him for five consecutive days and towards the end I almost had to be restrained from doing something deeply unpleasant with his microphone.

By some perverse design the other two Marmite subjects were both at Ascot last Saturday as Matt Chapman co-hosted Shergar Cup day.

I have to confess I am on the “don’t like” side of the fence when it comes to Chapman, give me an afternoon of Tommo any day.

Although, with regards Chapman, I could so easily become a convert.

One area where he is exceptionally good, when he decides to take it seriously, is in interviewing jockeys and trainers, yes he can ask the odd inane questions but on the whole he asks the right questions, and he is actually quite knowledgeable.

Where he goes wrong is he has allowed his public persona  to get in the way.

 He seems to see himself as the natural successor to John McCririck, in he seems to nurture this arrogant, controversial public persona which deliberately sets out to court controversy.  

In the case of McCririck it is a façade, as away from the cameras he could not be more different. The trouble is with the façade McCririck puts up he is viewed in many quarters as, at best an eccentric, at worse a buffoon, which is a great pity as he does have some very pertinent points to make about this sport of ours,

I have only met Chapman  twice and I have the feeling he too is a different personality in private.

If he spent more time trying not to be so controversial, not fostering gimmicks like the ridiculous “Yeehaaaa”  he would be taken more seriously and, like McCririck I believe he has some valid points to make.

By saying don’t be more controversial the last thing I am saying is don’t stop pointing out what you see as wrongs but go about it in a more measured way, without the histrionics and you will more likely be taken more seriously, instead he is in danger of turning into a caricature of this monster he has created.

Now the Shergar Cup . . . . if you believed some of the things you read on the forums you would think the Shergar Cup is the end of racing as we know it.

I confess am a Shergar Cup convert - I loathed it initially but am now a great fan.

I accept it is an anathema to many - we are all entitled to our opinions and we all have our likes and dislikes but disliking something is no reason for banning it.

After all I hate artificial surface racing with a vengeance but I accept it has a place and its fans, so I would not call for its abolition (a reduction maybe but not an abolition).

Some say the Shergar Cup is useless for betting, that’s as maybe. It is but one meeting out of 1,480 fixtures in the year and there were three other meetings the same afternoon for those who really cannot survive without having a bet and who did not want to bet on this event.

Some will argue that having a team competition is against the rules and spirit of racing but where is there any evidence of their being team tactics in the Shergar Cup.

Indeed the prize of a silver saddle and £3,000 in cash for the best individual jockey on the day will easily focus the mind of jockeys towards looking after number one.          

The racing was competitive, with some cracking finishes. There were ten runners in every race and there was a rare chance to see some decent overseas riders who would not normally be seen in the UK.

 
In terms of the team competition it really did go down to the line . . . . and those who backed Ireland at 10/1 going into the last race will certainly not be complaining about the afternoon.

The team colours, whilst still not perfect, were infinitely better than they were last year. I was certainly able to follow all the races first time.

Many of the crowd may well have been there primarily for the concert but many were also interested in the racing. I spoke to several first timers during the afternoon and yes, shock horror, some said they really enjoyed the afternoon and would come racing again.

Look at it another way, without the concert many would not have been there at all, so there would be no chance otherwise to try and attract them to the sport.

The area in front of the stands were packed for the actual racing and it was always busy, as busy as at any Ascot Saturday meeting, round the parade ring.

I personally believe the Shergar Cup can hook in far more new racegoers than any number of Ben and Brian initiatives.

It wasn't all perfect, having Matt Chapman as the co-presenter was a mistake - but then again I am biased on that front, so I am probably not an objective observer on that one.

The "opening ceremony" was too soon before the first contest and the runners in the first were notably more fractious, I suspect because of what was going on in the parade ring.

Racing Quango

I am writing this on Monday 11th October 2010.

Yes I know it isn’t the usual thing to begin an item with the specific date it is being written, however in this case it is significant.

Earlier this morning I popped over to our local supermarket, the one where the colour orange predominates. It is a modern supermarket with two floors of underground parking and some snazzy moving walkways to whisk you from the car parking to the store itself.

I was half way to the store when I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye, I was hallucinating surely?

But I wasn’t – looming in front of me was a 12’ tall, fully decorated Christmas tree.

There was worse to come, when I reached the shop floor the entire supermarket was festooned with Christmas decorations and, yes, it is only October 11th

Christmas seems to be beginning earlier every year.

OK I know winter is approaching as the evenings are getting darker noticeably earlier.

Also this weekend heralds, what for many is the traditional start to winter, Cheltenham’s first meeting of the season.

This weekend also sorts out the National Hunt followers from the flat followers as Newmarket hosts Champions Day, or at least the last Champions Day in its current format.

This year, as in previous years, it is a no brainer as to where I will be this weekend – it will be amongst the rolling hills of the Cotswolds rather than the open plains of Suffolk / Cambridge.

Although actually it isn’t quite true about it being a no brainer as, originally, I was not going to either. It was going to be a week long holiday, taking in Amsterdam and Brussels.

However with both sets of parents giving us assorted health concerns we have decided to remain in the UK. So Cheltenham it is.

Next year, however, it will be a major dilemma as to where I will be.

Next year Cheltenham’s first meeting of the season will not clash with a Champions Day in name only it will (no pun intended) be clashing with the Real McCoy, the new all singing, all dancing Champions Day at Ascot, featuring Britain’s most valuable card ever staged.

Part of the Racing For Change initiative it is designed to provide a fitting end to the flat turf season and, in theory, I have no great issue with the initiative.

However I do have a couple of concerns with regards the timing.

Firstly is it the most intelligent planning decision to have such a major fixture on the same day the jumping season has its first major fixture?

Some, but not all, racegoers are polarised into the flat and NH camps. There are many like both codes equally, or almost equally. For people like me, having two big, contrasting, meetings on the same day will produce a major dilemma as to which meeting to attend.

I have a suspicion I may have to compromise and do Cheltenham on the Friday and Ascot on the Saturday.

My other concern, and it is one I have touched on previously, is the proximity of the meeting to the Arc meeting at Longchamp.

For me we already have a championship day here in Europe, held the first Sunday in October where Longchamp stage six Group One races – culminating in the Prix de l’Arc deTriomphe.

Could having the British Champions Day just 13 days after Longchamp end up diminishing both?

Part of the fixture changes relate to having a “narrative” throughout the season, to this end a champions series of races has been formulated.

To me it looks suspiciously like the ill-starred Sovereign Series in just another guise.

More worryingly a new company called British Champions’ Series Limited (BCS) is being created to oversee the marketing and media rights for the entire series.

Is this not an incredible waste of money and does it not add yet another level of unnecessary administration into a sport which is already bloated with far too many vested interests.

Frankly the industry should be looking at rationalising not further fragmentation.

By creating BCS are the powers that be suggesting Racing Enterprises, who are supposed to be marketing the sport are not capable of marketing the Champions’ Series.

Or is it yet another example of unnecessary expense to line the pockets of the marketeers?

Another criminal waste of money along the lines of Racing For Change, money that could be better spent, for example, on prize money.

Looking at Racing For Change, what has all the money invested actually returned.

As far as I can see the only “benefit” I have seen has been the larger number cloths.

We had a week of free racing, by all account well received by courses and punters alike, yet what has happened to that … or are we awaiting responses from focus groups?

Then there was, in my view, the excellent suggestion to look at decimal odds. In the end there was a half-hearted “experiment” at one meeting, which was doomed to failure.

One enduring, and I mean enduring in the painful sense, aspect of Racing For Change is the “enhanced” on-course presentation. Usually hosted by Derek Thompson, Matt Chapman or, for reasons which defy all logical explanation, James McQuillan.

These are aimed to enhance the racegoing experience – take it from me they don’t, for every person the approach attracts you will alienate many more. Choosing two of the most Marmite characters in racing, Derek Thompson and Matt Chapman, for these presentation roles is a short sighted decision.

Those who like them will accept what is happening, those who do not will be alienated and driven away. Unlike the television where you can press the mute button or switch off, on-course the only escape is to go home.

It seems Matt Chapman has been employed to host Towcester TV, making his first appearance last Wednesday.

Now if you meet Matt when he is not near a microphone he is a pleasant, personable enough chap.

Put a microphone in his hand and I am afraid his ego takes over and he becomes unbearable. His performance at Towcester was, to say the very least, excruciating last Wednesday and, despite it being my local course and very convenient for me, I’m afraid I shall not be returning to Towcester as long as Matt is doing the course presentation.

Perhaps racing should take a note from the coalition Government who are cutting back on Quango’s – perhaps racing should begin the cull with Racing For Change and, even better still, put BCS out of its misery before it even sees the light of day.