Irish racing needs to feel at home on Racing TV, not just an unwanted visitor

In February 2018, after the shock revelation that Irish racing would be making a sensational switch from At The Races to Racing UK, as it was at the time, the Racing Post ran an online poll to canvas public opinion. A whopping 86 per cent of voters indicated it was a bad move.

Fast-forward four years and that level of dissatisfaction appears to have decreased to 75 per cent, according to a Twitter poll run by Tony Calvin. The Betfair tipster simply asked: where should Irish racing be homed from 2024 onwards? Exactly three-quarters of the 5,051 people who voted opted for Sky Sports Racing.

The initial vitriol towards Racing TV, as it is now, seems to have vanished, but discontent continues and, unsurprisingly, there was no shortage of negative reaction to Wednesday's big reveal about the pictures staying put until 2029 at the earliest.