ITV Racing to broadcast three Sunday meetings in Sky Bet-backed initiative

Racing will get a new mid-afternoon slot on terrestrial television this summer with the launch of the Sky Bet Sunday Series.

Three valuable meetings will be shown in full on ITV4, in an attempt to build on the success of the channel's increased Sunday coverage last year.

Prize-money totalling £600,000 will be on offer across seven-race cards at Musselburgh (July 25), Haydock (August 8) and Sandown (August 22).

Each programme will run from 3.45pm to 7pm and include behind-the-scenes features as well as showcasing lesser-known horses, trainers and jockeys.

Oli Bell from ITV Racing said: "We're delighted to be hosting three days of terrific Sunday racing in the summer which will give viewers three bonanza weekends of terrestrial racing.

"We're particularly looking forward to showcasing 'behind the scenes' activity to engage viewers at home with all the participants involved in a raceday, both equine and human, and racing at its grassroots.

"It's really important to us that we recognise the bigger and smaller names in the sport as well as the owners and stable staff and this series gives us a great opportunity to continue to do that on ITV."

Oli Bell: excited about taking viewers behind the scenes on a racedayCredit: Edward Whitaker

Racecourse Media group director of racing Ed Gretton added: "It has long been the view of many in the industry the sport does not make enough of the opportunity of Sunday racing.

"We see this as a pilot scheme focused on providing good quality racing and betting opportunities in front of a terrestrial audience, and hopefully it will be a prelude to an expanded series in 2022.

"RMG racecourses are delighted to be part of the launch of the Sky Bet Sunday Series and RMG's TV channel, Racing TV, will also be getting behind the series."

Sky Bet CEO Steve Birch said: "Sky Bet are excited to support the racing industry in this new venture showcasing high quality racing on a Sunday evening broadcast live on ITV.

"We want to work more closely with the racing industry to grow this great sport – and this collaboration is a clear step in the right direction bringing together racecourses, media rights owners, horsemen and operators for the wider benefit of racing."

Musselburgh stages the first of the meetings and managing director Bill Farnsworth said: "We are delighted to be included in this new series, which creates racedays with fantastic prize-money across the three racecourses.

"We look forward to working with the series partners on some of the exciting innovations which will hopefully attract new spectators and viewers to British horseracing."

Bill Farnsworth: looking forward to Musselburgh staging first meeting on July 25

Haydock and Sandown are owned by Jockey Club Racecourses, whose CEO Nevin Truesdale said: "We think there’s a huge amount of merit in the Sky Bet Sunday Series and are excited to see what it can achieve.

"For some time, it's felt like there's more we can do with Sunday racing and with the support of ITV, Racing TV and Sky Bet hopefully the series will be appealing to racing fans. We're delighted that Jockey Club Racecourses can be part of it through fixtures at Haydock Park and Sandown Park this summer."

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