(Attractive: Presenter Emma Spencer is attempting to attract a younger horse racing audience)

Channel 4's horse racing programme The Morning Line loses out to Saturday lie - ins...


Yesterday in the Racing Post as article was written about the need to use television to promote racing more. The article discussed the need for exciting new presenters and commentators to call home races with new techniques and ideas across the programme.


This is a great idea, Racing For Change would agree that racing as an event needs to become more exciting, it needs to be made more of a deal of. Speaking recently with Nick Attenborough at Racing For Change he said one thing he noticed while at the races recently with debut race goer a point was raised about the lack of excitement and anticipation at the start of a race. This is true enough, in jumps racing the race just seems to start in a very relaxed manner without much of a build up. The Grand National does have this excitement, and in lots of ways so does the Gold Cup at Cheltenham, but this issue could easily be addressed by racecourses across the country.


According to statistics the average age of viewer watching The Morning Line was 55. This is an incredible statistic and is reason to suggest that horse racing as a sport needs to draw the attention of a younger audience, and it needs to do it now.


The likes of John Francombe and Derek Thompson are obviously great people to present the programme but they just do not appeal to the younger audience. Shows need to advertise the likes of Frankie Dettori, Ruby Walsh and Tony McCoy as guests on the show and they need to advertise this days before airing the show during prime time viewing.


The often offensive JohnMcCririck is also not entirely a favourite with the younger generation, is he even a favourite with any generation? The man is rude and arrogant and it just is not a gimmick anymore. Viewers do not want to hear the man and he caused more of a humiliation to the racing industry and pushes potential spectators away rather than attracting new ones.


The 1000 Guineas at Newmarket is set for May 1st and broadcasters should spend time now advertising the event. Maybe the introduction of a weekly programme looking forward to the racing weekend is needed, to be aired midweek, Wednesday or Thursday when people are more likely to be tuning their TV sets rather than 9.00am on a Saturday morning when the very people Racing For Change are attempting to target are probably having a lie in!

(All Smiles: Frankie Dettori as a guest would interest more people)