Jim McGrath (British commentator)

Last updated

Jim McGrath (born 22 May 1955 [1] ) is an English horse racing pundit and broadcaster. He was associated with Timeform from 1974 until 2009. His nickname is "The Sage of Halifax". [2] He is well known for his onscreen relationship with John Francome on Channel 4 Racing.

McGrath had an ambition to become a jockey, but after a summer at trainer Bill Marshall's yard at Whitsbury, he was advised that he wouldn't make the grade. On leaving Brunts School in Mansfield, [3] McGrath joined publisher Timeform in 1974 "putting the glue on the cards." [4] After five years, he became a racecourse reporter, in 2000 Managing Director and in August 2008 Chairman. [5] [6]

McGrath joined Channel 4 Racing at launch in 1984 as a pundit having started with ITV as a presenter in 1981. He was a member of the British Horseracing Board's Jump Racing Advisory Panel from 1993 until mid-2004. In 2004 he stepped down as a member of the Horserace Writers and Photographers' Association Committee. In 2005 he became an independent director of the British Horseracing Board, a nominee of the Jockey Club. [7] and retained this position when the BHB became the British Horseracing Authority in July 2007.

McGrath is a breeder and owner, with current interests in horses in training with Sylvester Kirk, Jamie Osborne and Jonjo O’Neill. [8]

McGrath gave notice of his intention to resign from Timeform on 22 December 2008. Timeform had been bought by Betfair in November 2006, but the reason for McGrath's resignation remained private. [6] McGrath maintained his involvement with the charity race day at York in June which had been known from 1971 until 2008 as the Timeform Charity Day but in 2009 became the Macmillan Charity Day.

On 17 December 2016 it was announced on Channel 4 that this was to be his last appearance as part of the Channel Four Racing Team. However when racing returned on ITV in January 2017 surprisingly he did not come back to the network where he started his TV career.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epsom Derby</span> Flat horse race in Britain

The Derby Stakes, also known as the Derby or the Epsom Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey on the first Saturday of June each year, over a distance of one mile, four furlongs and 10 yards, or about 1½ miles. It was first run in 1780.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse racing in Great Britain</span>

Horse racing is the second largest spectator sport in Great Britain, and one of the longest established, with a history dating back many centuries. According to a report by the British Horseracing Authority it generates £3.39 billion total direct and indirect expenditure in the British economy, of which £1.05 Billion is from core racing industry expenditure and the major horse racing events such as Royal Ascot and Cheltenham Festival are important dates in the British and international sporting and society calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jockey Club</span> British horse racing organisation

The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amongst other horse racing assets such as the National Stud, and the property and land management company, Jockey Club Estates. The registered charity Racing Welfare is also a company limited by guarantee with the Jockey Club being the sole member. As it is governed by Royal Charter, all profits it makes are reinvested back into the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McCririck</span> English horse racing pundit (1940–2019)

John Michael McCririck was an English horse racing pundit, television personality and journalist.

Sky Sports Racing is a British pay television channel devoted primarily to horse racing. A joint venture between Sky Group and Arena Racing Company, it broadcasts coverage of domestic, European and international horse racing events. The channel also broadcasts some greyhound racing.

From 10 June 1993 until 30 July 2007, the British Horseracing Board (BHB) was the governing authority for horseracing in Great Britain. It was created in 1993, and took on responsibilities previously held by the Jockey Club. This was intended to help modernise the sport, as the Jockey Club is a private members' club with a traditionally aristocratic membership, and was seen by some as being unaccountable and a relic of the tradition of amateurism in British sports administration. The Jockey Club however retained responsibility for matters concerned with the regulation of the sport, such as integrity, discipline and equine health. The British Horseracing Board focused on organising and promoting the sport and enhancing its commercial position. This was an extract from its statement of aims published in 2006:

As the Governing Authority for Racing, we will promote the interests of our sport and industry in whatever way we can.... We will work to attract and retain more racehorse owners, racegoers and other customers. We will seek to maintain and promote horseracing as a competitive and attractive sport and betting medium. We also wish to see the best possible training and working conditions for those employed in the industry, and the highest possible standards of care for horses.

Robert Jeffrey Stelling is an English television presenter. He presented Gillette Soccer Saturday for Sky Sports from 1994 until 2023 and hosted coverage of the Champions League between 2011 and 2015.

Flockton Grey was the British racehorse at the centre of one of the largest betting scandals to hit British horseracing. The affair remains the best-known case of a corrupt trainer and owner using a ringer to race in place of another horse. Because of the use of the ringer, Flockton Grey did not actually run in the race for which he became most famous.

Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television stations Channel 4 and More4.

ITV Sport is a sport producer for ITV. It was formed following the merger between Granada Sport and Central Sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Moore (jockey)</span> British jockey

Ryan Lee Moore is an English flat racing jockey, who was Champion Jockey in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He is currently the first choice jockey for Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle operation, a role in which he mainly rides horses owned by Coolmore Stud. He also sometimes rides horses for Juddmonte and The Royal Family. As of 2023, Moore has ridden over 170 Group or Grade 1 winners internationally. He has the most British Group & Listed wins of any active jockey.

Gerald Barnard Balding Jr. OBE, known as Toby Balding, was a British racehorse trainer, one of the few to have won the "big three" British jump races—the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Hurdle.

John Brough Scott, MBE is a British horse racing journalist, radio and television presenter, and former jockey. He is also the grandson and biographer of the noted Great War soldier "Galloper Jack" Seely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Horseracing Authority</span> Organization

The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Beckett, 5th Baron Grimthorpe</span>

Edward John "Teddy" Beckett, 5th Baron Grimthorpe, is a British peer. He was racing manager to the late Prince Khalid Abdullah who died in January 2021.

Jason Charles Weaver is a former, classic-winning, British flat racing jockey who had his major successes in the mid-1990s. In total, Weaver rode more than 1,000 winners in a career which spanned fourteen years. Since retiring he has worked as a presenter and pundit, and currently works on ITV Racing and Sky Sports Racing. Weaver is one of only seven jockeys to have ridden two hundred winners in a season, a feat achieved in 1994 when he finished runner-up to Frankie Dettori in the jockey's championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandra Park Racecourse</span> Former horse racing venue in London

Alexandra Park Racecourse, known to Londoners as Ally Pally, was a horse racing venue in Alexandra Park, London, England; it was colloquially known as the Frying Pan on account of its shape. It opened on 30 June 1868 and closed 102 years later on 8 September 1970. It is now incorporated into the park, with a sports pitch in the centre of the racetrack oval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horse racing in the Philippines</span>

Horseracing in the Philippines began as a recreational activity in 1867. Its history is divided into three major time periods based on the breed of horses raced, in conjunction with the three significant eras of Philippine history. According to the type of horses used, the periods are the Philippine-pony era (1867–1898), the Arabian-horse era (1898–1930), and the Thoroughbred era (1935–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Grand National</span> Horse race held in 2015

The 2015 Grand National was the 168th annual running of the Grand National horse race at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England. The showpiece steeplechase took place on 11 April 2015, the final day of a three-day meeting. A field of 39 runners competed for a share of the £1 million prize fund, and all returned safely to the stables following the race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rishi Persad</span> UK based sports television presenter

Rishi Persad is a British sports television presenter.

References

  1. BIRTHDAYS, Racing Post, 22 May 2009, page 4.
  2. JIM MCGRATH, Champions (UK) plc, accessed 16 July 2015
  3. Presenters, Channel 4 Television, accessed 20 August 2008
  4. "The FREEbets.org.uk Interview:Jim McGrath". FREEbets. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  5. "Timeform chief McGrath happy to take on new rivals". The Guardian. 6 March 2006. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  6. 1 2 "McGrath resigns from Timeform". Racing Post. 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 21 August 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  7. "Jockey Club Appoint Jim McGrath to BHB Board". Jockey Club. 9 December 2004. Retrieved 24 April 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. "BHA Directors". British Horseracing Authority. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2008.