ITV Racing is Better than Channel 4

It's early days, but I think the moaners are never going to be happy - it's not like they're going to be doing something better themselves.

can`t fault it apart from fitzgerald,miles better than c4

you people must be watching a different programme to me, found it poor, and one loud mouthed chapman

It was more entertaining with Chapman.

Although I suggest ITV replace Harvey and McCoy with a couple of cardboard cut outs for all the contribution they made.

7 /10 ....chapman dreadful

I was pleasantly surprised. Decent start imo. The show looks fresher, different graphics, diff camera angles, diff styles of interviews, etc and Ed Chamberlain looks like he's been doing it for years. As for Chapman,  I know he's a bit marmite but I Iike him and he'll shake things up a bit.  Hopefully Plunkett will get relegated to minor bit parts and Fitzy will learn something from the "champ". The one that doesn't belong is Harvey - looks like the office weirdo who crashed the xmas party

Very promising start, enjoyed it. Agree with first comment on here it was more alive.

Some of them on C4 were just going through the motions and format was getting a bit stale, this coverage today was definite improvement, not easy to get the balance right and draw in a wider audience, but very promising start I'd say.

It was basically exactly the same as CH4 or BBC. Useless chat and pontification before each race, good quality race coverage and commentary, and then more usless chat and interviews afterwards. Chapman was excruciating - I almost missed Tanya ffs. Same old, same old.

NB: They didn't show the earlier Cheltenham races which was disappointing.

Judging by the amount of threads and comments on here it appears the ITV coverage is the most important event in the history of horse racing.

WALOFS




That sums up this fred perfectly!!!!!!

Did Exchanges get a mention or are they gonna pretend they don't exist?

".... Hopefully Plunkett will get relegated to minor bit parts "

Relageted to bit parts, you mean like doing the graphics ?

ITV dumbed down presentation probably appeals to a certain percentage of the population. Matt Chapman asking us to play a game of “hair or no hair” under his bobble hat with a bookmaker was hilarious .  McCoy humour is cutting and droll "only the weather forecaster had got anything right", but about as charismatic as my hoover.

So it's over to ITV4 until the Cheltenham festival?  Clearly ITV4 will keep racing in the public eye...

watched the rest of the show this morning

agree with what people have said about AP...cracks appearing already from him, not sure he will be a positive influence for the show in the long term
fitzy's pieces with the weather girl and pendo are so fkin tedious please get rid of all 3
graphics such as the winning line and furlong lines are a joke
I think features work well in between races at the main meeting rather than showing a 2nd meeting such as musselburgh

but on the whole plenty of positives for a 1st show

"agree with what people have said about AP...cracks appearing already from him" totally agree, and not much personality, he looked a weak link with the chemistry between Chamberlin and Harvey and Chapman. Plunkett can be a bit annoying at times.

I'd pair AP with Rishi -- less forced humour, and Rishi can be effective at drawing out the experts.

I never said the explanation was good, I said they got the right balance for the amount of things they explained (or tried to)

Only saw bits of the coverage - wonder if any mention made of introducing betting feature like the old ITV7 with consolation dividends? Thought Chapman was OTT - trying too hard  and definitely in a hurry to make himself star of the show (and I'm a fan!)

There were some good aspects , it was faster paced , Ed and Oli are very good .

But there doesn't appear to be one mention in this thread about them not showing the earlier replays .....I take it I am in a minority thinking this was a big failing.

For me it was busy and lively, which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the presenting from the paddock, although when the weather is as bad it was on New Years day there needs be a back up of plan of getting some cover at the course.
I thought Luke & Tony were a good little partnership and Matt stirring things up and keeping people on their toes makes for good viewing. Although I do think the hair, no hair bit was infantile. I accept that when he explains the odds, he does so for people who don't understand the game, these could be the future racing fans so experienced racing fans shouldn't call it dumbing down and just accept why they are explaining such things.
I personally loved the mid race talks between Richard and the presenters of how the race was unfolding, it made the racing really interesting for me. Also I really enjoyed the camera styles and sound effects of the rain and jockeys shouting as they rode a finish. They (ITV) are trying to take you as close to the game as possible and they should be commended for it.
Also this was the very first show, you can't expect everything to be perfect, it will take a number of shows to get things right and as long as they keep trying to do so, I will keep watching.

Things that didn't work for:

Victoria Pendleton, simply no point having her on the show. I congratulate her for trying her hand at race riding (for which she was seriously well rewarded) but she didn't and will not add anything to the coverage.
Matt's hair, no hair bit and the overdone presentation in the winners enclosure.
The graphics, I liked the style and colour of them but they need to be bigger and fill the entire screen.
The theme tune sounds quite catchy but the whole Warhorse/people clapping at the theatre is rather silly. Better just to show clips of past and presents racing greats doing what we all love, RACING! IMO.

A good first effort with plenty of positives that I'm sure will improve, given time.