Sir Tony McCoy On ITV

tell him to shove the sun rating black dot up his @ss

He isnt a nice person.

Still bitter about not getting the proper advice and retiring early

Poppydog  - spot on

keeps referring to bald Luke, Ugly Fitzy, hates it when Ed is being nice to Francesca or anyone else, he has a character flaw

little man syndrome IMO

he had a pop at

The post race jockey-couple love-in
The Skeltons
Francesca (nepotism)
Ed (get Gary Newbon in)
Women jockeys (naaahh!)
Have to work with you lot

all in five minutes

(but all done with a chuckle, so it's all right?)

He's not that small. Just a narcissistic misanthropist.

To make it worse he doesn't say anything worthwhile about the racing either.

yeast  • March 16, 2018 2:41 PM GMT 

To make it worse he doesn't say anything worthwhile about the racing either.

Ideal credentials for a job with ITV racing.

More importantly has the clown tipped a Winner yet?...Apples Shakira was his banker of the meeting.

Yes he is no addition to the team

A good jockey, but totally a waste of media space; he does not add anything to any discussion, in my considered opinion. And I for one do not listen or pay attention to any spouted.

Heard him call Chappers a clown. At least he was trying to stimulate conversation. AP reminds of you of the boring **** **** in the snug.

that bit where they tried to recreate the Might Bite/Whisper finish to the RSA last year was pitiful. Not something a knight of the realm should be doing. The documentary they did about his last season as a rider didn't paint a very good picture about him as a person, I don't think he has anything likeable about him

all said though, he was a fantastic jockey

I thought I heard him mention just before the off that the GC winner ticked all the boxes.

As a pundit he is excruciatingly awkward and unlikeable, he comes across as having the personality of an obtuse rusty paperclip. I'm glad is isn't just me.

Wish we could return to the days of Julian Wilson and Tommy Stack in the box, John Hanmer reading the betting, runners rider and results, and O'Sullivan commentating assisted by Hanmer. Even trying to look at this weeks coverage from a positive point of view, there was nowt much worthy of praise and I really though it was pretty dreadful but had it on most of the time with RUK having to cover an off meeting.Must be getting old but a Neesom type is just fine with me. When you start noticing too much about the presenting team it means they are getting in the way.

So do I verb heard that rancid bloke shouting Samcro thought RUK for me some of the other voices grate one is seriously squeaky they are on borrowed time until Sky take over and charge us more for the privilege. RUK won't be able to compete sadly.

I like him, must be hard working with the others on the channel...............

They knew he hadn't got much of a personality before they engaged him. That's not his fault
it's just the way he is.
They took him on because he was the biggest name in racing at the time.
He isn't that bad anyway, just poor at banter and absolutely average with his assessments.
Somebody has to stand there filling in the time talking twaddle, so it might as well be him.

He did tip today's big winner.

Dr Crippen : 'He did tip today's big winner'
Native River : ran well in GC last year, stays very well, had ground in it's favour
and trained by Tizzard for the GC. Didn't take a great  bit of punditry to tip it.

It did not take much to pick the GC winner especially on the day eg Native river was a principal runner with the rating to boot; loved the ground; proven stayer and good jumper; lightly campaigned this season; 3rd last year on unsuitable ground; champion jockey onboard. And compare that to Might Bite eg quirky; never ran beyond 3m; not won on heavy ground.

the doc about his last season showed him as the ar5ehole he is.
Diabolical on TV.

That's the first time I've seen someone pick a 5/1 winner and get treated with such contempt.

There must be some rich people on here if they find picking winners so easy.

The TV companies seem to think that just because a person is a top player in their particular sport they will make a good broadcaster/commentator but they don't.

Some examples Peter Scudamore, couldn't say more than a few words without umming and aaahing.

Sally Gunnell, Duncan Goodhew, most of the Sky Saturday Soccer team and so on.

I think it's as much to do with who you know as well.
These are good jobs on the TV, for simply turning up and airing their views.

They're all mates together.
McCoy being a standout example. For who would engage him as a presenter if he hadn't been such a high profile jockey?

You want someone with a bit of an education to do a job like that, not a tongue tied ex-jockey who was up before the stewards more times than I can remember for excessive use of the whip.

Is it true they've signed Ted Durcan up for the forthcoming flat season?

I wonder if they ever have a serious debrief and actually ask people how they did?

Even if they do I doubt they will change the celebrities.

However, they could

1  ditch the ridiculous camera angles
2  show the full finish especially for the places
3  get rid of all the cringeworthy ****

that would be a huge improvement

I knew McCoy some 20 odd years ago he was even in those days I thought

hot the most likeable of persons, he once rode a horse for us at Plumpton

which we had backed to win around 30K was asked to ride the horse in a certain

manner he did not do as he was asked the horse got beat and even though he

was Champion umpteen times he never rode for us again.

They should have a proper preview of each race not just a couple of minutes.

Once a race is finished and they've show a couple of replays then move on to the next.

Why do we have to hear what the public are backing, why do we have to meet all the stable lads and lasses?

Why do we have so many presenters? Chamberlain, Cumani then two ex jockeys, surely too much, no one gets any time to say anything or they talk over each other.

Camera angles are terrible, seems they want to show most races from the infield camera car.

McCoy's a pain in the neck. Even when he rode he was a miserable git most of the time and nothing much has changed.

I assume ITV will line up Ryan Moore to do a similar job on flat racing when he retires from the saddle.

not my cup of tea ,but pished the tips table 20 quid challenge amongst itv presenters, all 15 of them

hang on, so he's a better tipster than mick fitz, alice plunkett and francesca cumani ..... just gone right up in my estimations

alice picking them because she likes the names, francesca because the trainer once had one running in the cox plate ...

just saying because posters said he never put a winner up

How many times do we have to say on here that terrestrial TV coverage of racing is aimed at people who wouldn't know one race from another and are only watching while having a cup of tea and waiting for the next advert break. If you want to watch horse racing watch it live or on RUK.

Agree, his constant sneering and putting people down does get a bit tiring. It's ok having a joke and a bit of friendly banter but not doing it all the time. A pity ITV didn't get Francome, had a personality and was more likeable. McCoy is alright but doesn't have the same charisma as Francome.

Agree, his constant sneering and putting people down does get a bit tiring

That's what they're getting on to McCoy about.

Should have been:

That's certainly what they're getting on to McCoy about.

Usually TV people bend over backwards to be nice to each other. Perhaps no one has told him yet?

its his chance to wear the trousers,that doc u last year showed his mrs wears the trousers in his house

agree with o.p , comes across as school bully

I reckon the brief is to play up the banter with Chapman although posters are right. Even the bits I do catch, tend to mentally turn off once there's no racing on, he does come across as a bit of a charmless oik. He just doesn't do comedy. Francome would have better but to be fair to McCoy, it is still very new to him. Hard to be a natural in front of the cameras, most of us would be a tongue tied mess.

He's been at it long enough now to get over any stage fright.

I found the perfect plan this week. I watched the whole thing with the sound off until the race had started. Really nice. Recommended.

Francome was funny. That's the difference

charmless is the right adjective

Maybe the knighthood has got to his head. By the way, why and what did he get that for? Riding the most winners or the most dedicated National Hunt jockey for over 20 years?

I, for one, had never been a fan of his. He was, no doubt very dedicated, but never my type of rider despite his riding numerous winners every year; I think that could be put down to him having the pick of the rides; well sought after jockey; riding the most fancied/fav horses in the races; backed by the most powerful and richest patrons, etc.

With the above, I believe, anyone with a smidgeon of intelligence, possesses above average ability and plenty of luck eg President Trump, George Bush, Reagan, Schwarzenegger, Tony Blair, etc, could be successful given the appropriate time and opportunity.

i watched a couple of days itv coverage in the pub instead of ruk at home . mccoy is no natural for sure and his comic attempts come across as just sour  but the lowest point for me was them discussing the  fobt topic about 5 mins before the county hurdle !

Sir Tony was the FOBT posterboy for Hills

Think its becoming obvious that the itv pundit team are miles off what C4 gave us.
Personally i couldnt get enough of halifax jim, lucky and graham cunningham.

With itv the ex jockeys are tiresome.

Chamberlin's man-genue act is starting to grate. He is like that fast-show character who went around saying everything was brilliant.

Chapman has bought the copyright on the mccririck schtick. It was a breath of fresh air in 1983. Not now.

One is loathe to criticise the women involved as you would imagine trying to get themselves heard amongst the likes of MC Yeehah and
the know-it-all ex jocks must be the devils own job.
Cumani clearly knows the breed and there is always going to be the need for a paddock expert.

I Dont know much about Oli Bell. Can't decide wether he is just a neopotistic ex public school boy or if his racing knowledge is being held back in deference to the likes of Mick Fitz. Some of the stuff Bell says makes sense, he conducts reasonably interesting post race interviews which is a thankless task for all involved I should think. Impressed with the way he downed that pint of guinness on thursday.

Anyway, dont know about yous but as a punter, and that means I lose more than win, the problem with racing coverage is the over celebration of the winners.
The sight of Michael O'Leary jollying it up at the itv podium on the thursday had my old man in full on elvis-reaching-for-the-shotgun mode.
I can not imagine my old man was alone.

Peter O'Sullevan put his unique commentary style down to the fact he was cognisant of the fact the majority of his audience would be backing a loser and did not want to be seen giving favour. A lesson lost on the current generation.

Two comments on the above.
Think what you will of Michael O'Leary,but he puts an awful lot of cash,energy and resources into this game, and everyone should applaud the man for this alone. He doesn't need to do this ,but many in the game owe him much for his continued patronage.
I certainly appreciate the guy, and his personality and forthright views do not offend me.
I wish him well.
My other observation is with regard to McCoy.
In his pomp of 5 or 6 years ago,he was very popular on all the racecourses I attended,with a constant fan club of all ages.
Always giving autographs and nothing was too much for him.
Alas he changed ,and his current media roles have tarnished somewhat his reputation.
It is sad, and I hope he realises pretty soon that this is not for him, and no amount of financial inducement should entice him to further stain his previous good name.

McCoy's presence (contribution less than nil) makes it totally clear where the problem lies with ITV racing. Someone must have decided to employ him. Who made the decision? Senior managers who have not the slightest clue as to what horse racing is and in particular are absolutely clueless as to what makes the sport attractive to those of us who enjoy it so greatly. Why should a great jockey be even a barely acceptable "pundit"? There is absolutely no connection between the two jobs. Football provides an equally good (if not even better) example. Pick your least favourite ex-footballer pundit. The obscene wages paid by BBC for the Saturday night football bores. We need decisions on the choice of presenters/ pundits to be made by people who thoroughly understand the sport in question, The current "senior managers" suffer froim an excess of managerialism: "We are the bosses and are paid enormous salaries to do our job. Only we know what the job is so don't dare argue with us". Hence ITV's abysmal presentation of racing.

Agree "Charmless" perfect adjective to describe him. I was replaying the ITV Gold Cup post race analysis and heard him say on air to Fiona Johnson "were you even born the last time he won the Gold Cup".  She is is only 5 or 6 years younger than him ffs.

he was making a churlish remark regarding her being younger than her hubby!

Yes I thought a personal remark like that on air was in particularly poor taste.

FACT, She is younger than her husband, only telling the truth............

... and the need to highlight it at that point of celebration of winning the Gold Cup is?

Personally i have no problem with michael o'leary.
I agree he is good for the game.
The point i was trying to make was had you backed un de sceaux for example or cue card in that race you would in all probability not be in much of a mood to enjoy the celebratory scenes that ITV racing saw fit to display post race.
Its something that happens a lot in sport.
Media people get caught up in the moment and can not help themselves
Apparently the latest edition of the gold cup was the greatest of all time. Not just a national hunt race on deep ground then. In which the front runners had the race to themselves, the ground being so atrocious nothing from off the pace could get a look in.

and johnson knew that.