Racing TV explains why Khadijah's magic Magnolia Cup moment was not shown live

Safety concerns associated with previous runnings of the Magnolia Cup are understood to have informed a decision not to broadcast the race live on Racing TV.

The charity contest over five and a half furlongs was aired with a 45-second delay. That denied viewers live pictures of the race which had attracted worldwide media attention because of the presence of 18-year-old Muslim Khadijah Mellah, the first rider to race in a hijab in Britain.

The absence of live coverage became more acute when the teenager from south London made racing history by winning the race on Haverland.

The contest, which launched in 2011 and was initially broadcast live, attracted controversy in its early runnings when several riders were injured after being unshipped once passing the line, prompting a decision to move the finishing post half a furlong back up the track.

Seb Vance spokesman for Racecourse Media Group, the parent company of Racing TV, said: "Racing TV showed the race to its British and Irish audiences on a near-live basis, with a 45-second delay, as has been the case in previous years.

"Working with Goodwood, and race-scheduling permitting, we can look to show the race live without the minimal delay next year, especially given the unprecedented interest this year."

He said coverage was seen via the world feed in Japan, USA, Canada, Qatar, Russia, Georgia, France, Italy, Ireland and in the Caribbean.

He said: "The Magnolia Cup has attracted phenomenal interest this year due to Khadijah Mellah’s participation and fairytale win. Working with Goodwood and Great British Racing, Racecourse Media Group has received requests for footage from a host of broadcast outlets."

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