New face of Flat racing believes betting coverage is vital

Francesca Cumani, revealed yesterday as the new face of Flat racing for the next four years, believes that betting must form part of ITV's coverage of the sport but that a balance needs to be found to cater for viewers' different interests.

Cumani, daughter of Derby-winning trainer Luca and who turned 33 last week, will co-host the new terrestrial broadcaster's coverage of Flat racing with main presenter Ed Chamberlin.

Speaking to the Racing Post, she said: "I haven't had any in-depth discussions with ITV about how the programmes will work but from my personal perspective I think you do have to cover betting.