Jane Mangan: bumper RTE TV coverage a 'huge opportunity' for Irish racing

Prominent pundit Jane Mangan has hailed RTE Racing's six back-to-back weekends of televised coverage this winter as a "huge opportunity" for Irish racing to showcase itself to a terrestrial audience – and potentially elevate interest levels in the sport.

RTE's cameras travel to Navan on Sunday for a high-class card, featuring a major clash between Flooring Porter, Bob Olinger and Zanahiyr in the Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle, as well as the likely return of Ferny Hollow in the Grade 2 Fortria Chase.

Ireland's national broadcaster was in action at Down Royal last weekend to show Envoi Allen's spectacular return to form in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase, and will again be live on RTE1 for the next five Sundays. Each broadcast kicks off at 1.10pm.

A bumper run of winter coverage rolls on to Punchestown on Sunday week (November 20) for the Grade 1 Morgiana Hurdle, before the RTE team return to Navan a week later on November 27 for the €100,000 Troytown Handicap Chase.

Honeysuckle's bid to become the first four-time winner of the Hatton's Grace Hurdle is the highlight of a star-studded Fairyhouse card on December 4, with the Sunday series concluded by Punchestown's John Durkan Memorial Chase meeting and the Hilly Way Chase from Cork a week later (December 11).

RTE Racing: features regular contributions from Ted Walsh, Barry Geraghty, Jane Mangan and Katie Walsh on her Cheltenham Festival-winning grey Thousand StarsCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

Mangan, regularly seen on RTE, Racing TV and ITV Racing, believes the extended run of high-quality action can only enhance interest in Leopardstown and Limerick's Christmas festivals – also on terrestrial television – next month.

"It's a great commitment from the national broadcaster to have a consecutive run of weekends like this over the winter months," said Mangan. "I think it further demonstrates RTE's support for racing and recognition of its importance in this country and beyond.

"Sometimes if you're not on regularly enough it can be hard to build the relationship between the sport's participants and the public, but through the coming weeks we'll be giving people a chance to latch on to horses from the start of the winter right through to the end of the season at Punchestown.

"Any day that racing is on the national broadcaster is an important one, we don't take it for granted. We know this is a huge opportunity for the industry to showcase itself."

Mangan will be part of the RTE team on duty at Navan this Sunday and is excited to see how high Bob Olinger can fly in the staying division over hurdles this season.

Bob Olinger: makes his seasonal reappearance in Sunday's Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle at NavanCredit: Michael Steele (Getty Images)

"We're all probably guilty of paying closer attention to the festivals at Christmas and in the spring but a lot of these top horses have plenty of running done by then," said Mangan.

"When you're talking about Bob Olinger reverting to hurdles in the Lismullen on Sunday, could he be Ireland's top staying hurdler this season? Will Flooring Porter announce himself as the next Big Buck's by winning three Stayers' Hurdles at Cheltenham? We've seen top horses like Apple's Jade win Sunday's race twice in recent years."

Mangan added: "If at this early stage of the season we can get somebody following a horse, trainer or jockey – like they might support a football team – they can follow their ups and downs throughout the coming months and it will hopefully enhance the entertainment for them.

"Helping people to understand some of the intricacies that go with racing and particular horses is surely a positive."

RTE's Sunday winter racing series 2022

November 13 Navan (Fortria Chase/Lismullen Hurdle)
November 20 Punchestown (Morgiana Hurdle/Florida Pearl Novice Chase)
November 27 Navan (Troytown Handicap Chase/Monksfield Novice Hurdle)
December 4 Fairyhouse (Hatton's Grace Hurdle/Drinmore Novice Chase/Royal Bond Novice Hurdle)
December 11 Punchestown (John Durkan Memorial Chase) and Cork (Hilly Way Chase)

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