THE BBC have made a major move back into horse racing – just days after axing their tips from Radio 4.
Sun Racing columnist Andrew Balding will feature in the brilliant ‘Horsepower’ documentary, to be aired next week.
Starring alongside three-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy, the four-part seriesfollows the ups and downs of their tumultuous season on the Flat from Balding’s impressive Kingsclere yard.
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Focusing on gritty human stories as well as the glitz and glamour of the big days out, the behind-the-scenes show reveals captivating tales including Murphy’s harrowing recollection of how he ‘should have died‘ after being born 11 weeks premature.
The documentary – which earned rave reviews – is produced by Equine Productions and Lorton Entertainment, and originally aired on subscription-only Amazon Prime at the end of 2022.
But the first two episodes will be shown back-to-back on BBC 4 next Tuesday, July 9.
While all four episodes will be available on iPlayer.
Commenting on the decision to give racing the big public profile it deserves, Balding saisd: “It feels like a lifetime ago we had the film crews here filming it, but it was great fun to do and it could be a great opportunity for the sport to get some wider coverage.
“It was a shame the BBC got rid of the tips on Radio 4, but this is definitely a positive and hopefully a wider audience will enjoy it and take an interest in racing because of it.”
The Beeb’s decision to showcase racing comes after bosses decided to drop the daily tips from Radio 4’s flagship Today programme.
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Accused of ‘snobbery’ after ending a 47-year tradition, host Amol Rajan said tips would now be reserved only for the biggest races in the calendar.
He said: “No racing tips today because we have decided to break the tradition of having racing tips every day of the year.
“Instead we’re going to reserve the tips for the biggest days in the racing calendar.
“We will very much continue to cover horse racing, as we do so many other sports, not least through interviews with leading lights in the racing world.
“And we will sometimes continue to broadcast from the big ticket events like the Grand National festival, or Cheltenham Gold Cup week.”
Betting and Gaming Council chair Michael Dugher said in response: “This is sad news but unsurprising.
“It also says a lot of about the current standing of the sport at the BBC.
“I suspect there have always been people at BBC Radio 4 that regard the racing tips as a bit ‘below stairs’ and, if they like racing at all, they only care about the big ‘dressing up’ meetings like Royal Ascot or Cheltenham.
“Millions of ordinary people enjoy a regular bet – whether that’s on bingo, the lottery or sports like racing.
“There’s definitely more than a hint of snobbery from the Today Programme with this decision.”
Sun Racing’s 5 star Horsepower review
WITHIN the space of a few seconds, Horsepower shows both the outrageously lucrative side of racing… and the often grim reality.
It is unlikely viewers hoping to catch a behind-the-scenes look at the glitz and glam of Royal Ascot would expect to hear about ‘testicles doubling in size’ 18 minutes into episode two.
But that is what we get as one scene shows 2000 Guineas winner Kameko getting ready to cover a mare at stud.
Bought by Qatar Racing for around £70,000, the hope is the horse will go onto earn tens of millions producing the sport’s next superstars.
Watching on is Oisin Murphy.
Along with top trainer Andrew Balding, three-time champion jockey Murphy is one of the stars of the show.
He rode Kameko to victory in that Newmarket race but the four-part series follows him after his ban for a failed drugs test.
Sun Racing revealed in October 2020 that Murphy, who always denied taking cocaine, had tested positive for the drug.
Viewers unfamiliar with his story will be treated to the tale of his rise against the odds – and the demons he has battled.
But perhaps new to even followers of the sport will be the occasional ratty side we see from arguably the best jockey around.
In one scene Murphy, sitting in his car en route to the airport, rants at Sue, his driver: “F***ing car, we need a Jaguar again.”
Prior to that he slated her for the ‘stupid place’ she hung her jacket up in the back of the motor.
Sitting in the backseat, Murphy responds like a child when asked if he is sulking by Sue.
Murphy responds sullenly: “No, I’m not in a mood.”
In a moment of candidness to camera, Sue, getting her words out through seemingly forced laughter, admits: “It’s a love/hate relationship.
“Some days I love him, some days I can’t stand him. Mostly I can’t stand him!”
Rare moments of insight give even loyal racing followers a glimpse into the real life of jockeys away from huge cheques, adoring fans and trophies.
Some of the scenes that might mean the most to casual viewers are those featuring Abdul – a work rider who came to the UK from war-torn Sudan under the wheel arch of a lorry.
Unable to read or write, Balding’s wife Anna Lisa treated him like one of her own.
We learn about his place in the racing family at Kingsclere stables in Newbury and the heartbreaking impact his decision to leave has on all of them.
Mixed in with this is race footage, a nice explanation of terms you might not come across normally – such as Alcohol Free’s ‘winter coat’ – and a sense of just how global the operation of a top trainer really is.
With scenes of laughter, genuine tension, and sadness, Horsepower is based on racing – but really it’s about so much more.
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