Clare Balding may quit C4

She is never off TV nowadays and probably no longer needs racing.
Who next to be the face of C4 Racing? Will it be another personality to try to draw the public?

She wants to work with Greg ****..

Dutch irrigation

Of course she's thinking of quitting, the reception for the new format has been derisory & after single handedly (with some help from Carson perhaps) dragging the BBC racing coverage to 'base level' she wont want to have two verdicts against her......
It was obvious to some what a poor signing she was when channel4 snaffled her services
Racing is a sport based around betting, not around a posh presenter talking up horses trained by her posh friends & being as patronising as humanly possible to the lower echelons lucky enough to watch her broadcasting........
Neither would be my cup of tea personally, but perfect choices for this gig would be Matt Chapman, or Patrick Kinghorn, both of whom can generate some excitement & can speak to the audience as though they are talking to equals.
Balding will be gone for sure & long term that's brilliant for racing imo

Frankly who gives a damn......if anyone is mad enough to  listen to this silver spoon lot you would soon be visiting the poor house.
I am sick and tired of endless presenters mentioning at least 5 different horses in each race, and if one does happen to win they never stop pontificating about it, as if that was the only horse selected.
What is needed is someone who knows the form book upside down and is able to give a sound and reasoned selection in a race with a running profit and loss per programme.
As I have said on numerous occasions why do you need around 6 or more people to present a racing programme anyway?....it's proof the format does not work with ever more shrinking viewing figures year on year.
Producers keep fooling themselves they are going to attract a growing audience when it simple to deduce, most people only watch horse racing on tv if they already like it ....they are not going to switch on just because so and so is presenting it.
Proof perfect is the BBC dropped racing altogether because  unless your embedded in the sport no one outside of this equine bubble really cares.....imho anyway.

Is there a Doctor in the house ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

wants to spend more time at home with the girlie

Whatever happened to Patrick Kinghorn?

@jonjo & millhouse -- if Clare Balding makes viewers turn off, then there ought to be more viewers when she is not on than when she is. Has anyone checked the ratings data to see if this is actually what happens, or is this just blind prejudice?

And to blame a part-time presenter for the changes in the programme verges on the ridiculous -- that would be down to the producers, and in particular IMG's Carl Hicks -- who previously ran BBC's racing coverage.

@barry dennis -- Lydia Hislop is one of the better racing presenters BUT she did previously have the BBC gig which she quit.

Let Taryna front it - - has the experience and knowledge, talks well to camera, more on vogue with her fashion lately, wots not to like!

Delta.....stop 'stirring' it please, this is a serious discussion.

C4 probably realise it's not working but can't afford to get rid of her so they are hoping she walks to save them some money.

having said that I don't think there's anyone who could bring back the audience they are looking for.

@Outpost -- C4 probably realise it's not working but can't afford to get rid of her so they are hoping she walks to save them some money.

having said that I don't think there's anyone who could bring back the audience they are looking for.

More likely, Channel 4 is clueless. The problem imo is the format, not a part-time presenter. If Clare was the problem, then Channel 4 would see the increase in audiences on the weeks she is not there. This would also make the solution obvious: replace Clare with whoever fronts the show on those "good", high-audience weeks -- presumably, Nick Luck.

imagine by how much RUK subscriptions would go down if Olivia left to join C4

if you're going to quit then quit - stop talking about it comes across as attention-seeking

If Matt Chapman or Lydia Hislop took over, Channel 4 racing would be dead and gone within 12 months.

If viewing figures are to be believed the regular viewer of Channel 4 racing doesn't want probing questioning, they want the likes of McCririck, Tommo and Cattermole. In short it's an entertainment show almost as much as it's a racing programme. The racing channels provide the right platform for Hislop and Chapman. Channel 4 definitely doesn't.

Bit of a suggestion from left field. But what about Gary O' Brien? I know it'd be a big step up from his current gig but he's quite knowledgeable and a likeable enough lad.

a trainers view a trainers view

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"It is disappointing the see that Clare Balding is considering leaving Channel 4 racing. She is by far and away the best presenter, is always well rehearsed and researched and puts everything over in a very professional way, also the public get to know her from her other broadcasting jobs, whether it be on the TV or the radio. I would hope they would try and offer her a package she couldn’t refuse, as we don’t want the viewing figures going down even more. A good racing product on TV is a must."

Thank goodness for Ibrahima and Ramruna.

The personal attacks are unfair and totally unwarranted. And that's without getting in to the homophobic stuff.

The Channel 4 coverage is a mess and drives people away from the sport. But that was true before Clare Balding arrived and it won't change if she's replaced.

The show needs a different tone, and content that reflects the mostly betting-related interests of the few remaining viewers.

But I don't think the people involved could make the change at this stage even if they wanted to.

In any event, the whole sport is in a death spiral (or 'laying the foundations for future success' as the BHA likes to put it. It won't be long before C4 yields to the inevitable and pulls the plug on the whole exercise.

Don't blame presenters-they are only doing what the producer tells them to do. So long as the main channels assume that talking heads and fashion parades must take precedence over sport, nobody who is a serious fan will watch if there is an alternative. I watch RUK and ATR for racing, Eurosport for Athletics and Tennis when they cover it etc. They are not perfect either but if you are not prepared to attend a meeting in person, you have to watch what is available. Claire Balding is capable of high quality informed coverage of racing but is not allowed to do that. If she decides to leave, good for her.