I read last night that Dessie Scahill's contract hasn't been renewed and he's to hand over the microphone from next month.
A few years too late IMHO so while I'd say thanks for the service to the sport over the many years, thank feck he's going.
Alcohol, because no good story ever started with "I was eating this salad..."
I'm obviously atypical of the viewer the ITV people want to attract but for me the coverage was crap all week, its only saving grace being Charlotte Hawkins. The fashion guy himself is fine and, as I said last year, a massive improvement on previous 'experts'.
The commentators are simply awful.
Chamberlin and the other presenters are totally wooden.
McCoy is a waste of space. I've no idea why an ex-NH jockey gets anywhere near a Flat gig (and vice versa).
The race coverage still leaves a lot to be desired. It's clear the directors aren't racing people and who focus on their own idea of visual impact over the substance of meaningful coverage. So many others sports serve viewers so much better, eg snooker and tennis.
I probably won't renew my RUK subscription when it's over but that's due to other factors, the main one being that it's a data channel and I can't record it and it's also unreliable. But the race coverage and analysis are miles better.
All in all ITV's coverage leaves me totally underwhelmed.
Illegitimi non carborundum
I've had the coverage on while getting with things around the house.
Wednesday openers from Harvey and Persad:
Persad - they've put 4mm of water all round to maintain good to firm.
Harvey - Stop complicating things. (!!!!!) Ascot doing what they do right (that's what caught my attention) ... no advantage anywhere on the track.
Persad - What about the Hunt Cup, punters are going to want to know where to be.
Harvey - Yesterday was definitely horses drawn low... the best way to demonstrate that young man is to ...
... followed immediately by him mounting Persad.
Apart from the total self-contradiction inside the space of two sentences, he then fails to demonstrate anything other than that he is a fvcking total tosser.
Following on from the 'loved-up' sequence with Clownman and Gleeson, are ITV THAT desperate to chase the pink pound???
Last edited by Desert Orchid; 26th June 2018 at 12:56 PM.
Illegitimi non carborundum
You are not on your own, DO.
Whilst the race is being run I would like to have a convention view of the race i.e. as you would get if you were in the stands and with as few changes of angle as possible. The arty-farts shots can be shown when the race is over.
Too many people involved, I’m amazed how some of them keep getting the gig. Luke Harvey, what is he good for........absolutely f*ck all. Rishi Persad and those awfully intrusive immediate post-race interviews.
I despair over the coverage and I find that between races I am switching the coverage off.
Ah! but a man's reach should exceed his grasp......
Looks like Des Scahill won't be commentating for much longer
Would hope that anyone broadcasting Irish racing will make good use of Richard Pugh as a commentator
Some people say he’s the best since Arkle and that’s certainly true when you look at what he’s done
I believe Gary O'Brien is going to do some of the Irish commentating
"The wise man is one who knows what he does not know"
LUKE (27th June 2018)
Is it an age thing, Colin? We agree on so much!
Another thing that disappointed me was some of the angle coverage you mention. As far as I know it's a recent thing although it might have happened last year - the angle as they turned for home. Too often they used the shot from high inside the track, only switching when nearly all the horses had completed the turn. The traditional TV from-the-stands angle is iconic here. You know you're at Ascot when you see that angle with the horses and jockeys leaning in to counter the centrifugal force of taking the bend. (Thankfully they restored the iconic head-on of Becher's in the National.) I miss the bell, though!
The immediate post-race interviews are something I like even if the interviewers are awful at them. Catching the jockeys while they're still in a euphoric state often gets them to say more than once they've calmed down. It's a failing of RUK who wait.
Rishi Persad must be sleeping with someone of influence. That can be the only explanation why he gets any job. He's probably the product of such a relationship. Harvey is a buffoon. We'd be better with Harvey the Rabbit.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Well I’ll admit to being a miserable old *******, I don’t think you’re as old as I though.
I think Rishi may be the son of a West Indian diplomat - don’t quote me on that!!
Ah! but a man's reach should exceed his grasp......
I’m 73 and I look at least that.
Ah! but a man's reach should exceed his grasp......
Jerry Hannon will become Ireland's primary racecourse commentator
"The wise man is one who knows what he does not know"
Good choice but to be fair I'd have settled for Gareth Gates over Dessie
Alcohol, because no good story ever started with "I was eating this salad..."
Big fan of Gary O'Brien and sad to see that he has to entertain the idea of racecourse commentating rather than the obvious position leading RUK in doing the same job he currently does for ATR. God only knows why he isn't an RTE mainstay already.
Just catching up on last Wednesday's recording.
After the Hunt Cup, Gleeson: "When Billy Lee's aboard he wins more than he loses."
I'm trying to think if there was ever a more inane and less accurate statement ever made on TV.
Do these people never think before they speak?
Last edited by Desert Orchid; 29th June 2018 at 11:38 PM.
Illegitimi non carborundum
Colin Phillips (30th June 2018)