690:, the programme aired for 25 minutes as part of Channel 4's recently launched breakfast television service. The programme would later be expanded to run for 60 minutes. The programme aired every Saturday and was shown regardless of whether Channel 4 was televising horse racing later that day. The programme also provided tips and advice for the forthcoming day's racing. The show featured contributions from a panel of racing pundits. Every Saturday the team of pundits had a virtual £100 with which they make their charity bet selections for the day. The final edition of The Morning Line aired on 26 December 2016. ITV4 broadcasts
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problems, the last day of
Channel 4 Racing was on 27 December 2016, when Channel 4 screened action from Kempton's Christmas meeting as well as the Welsh Grand National from Chepstow. As New Year's Eve fell on a Saturday that year, this meant it was the first Saturday in recent memory that horse racing was not shown on terrestrial television. Instead, pay channel
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On 1 January 2016 it was announced that
Channel 4 had lost their horse racing rights after 32 years to ITV who would have exclusive free to air rights to British horse racing from 1 January 2017. The reason for the change was said to be that ratings had dipped for most of the big meetings that used
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Initially, it was announced that
Channel 4 would broadcast their final day of horse racing on 31 December 2016, with the rights moving to ITV on the following day. It was announced at the start of December 2016 however that the last day of racing would not be on 31 December. Owing to logistical
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some until
Channel 4 showed them had not been seen on British TV. As well as the UK and Ireland Channel 4 has covered racing in 8 countries France, Germany, UAE, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, USA and Canada.
761:, while Richard Hoiles commentated either at the second most important meeting of the day, or filled in for Holt when he was absent. Very occasionally Hoiles also acted as main presenter of the programme.
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courses having initially signed a three-year contract which ran throughout 2007, 2008 and 2009. The contract guaranteed 80 days of racing each year on
Channel 4. Coverage was sponsored by
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at first only the jumps meetings while the big flat meetings stayed with the BBC until 2012, 2011 Aintree would be added with the Becher Chase card (Aintree would come full time in 2013)
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From the beginning of 1986, however, the amount of racing covered, especially on
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filled in as presenters when both
Balding and Luck were absent, and also served as interviewers and reporters on the programme alongside Gina Harding and
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provided analysis, whilst Tanya
Stevenson, Brian Gleeson and Tom Lee were the programme's betting correspondents. After 2000 the senior commentator was
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became the exclusive home of free-to-air televised racing, having signed a four-year deal in March 2012. Coverage included all major races including
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to be broadcast on the BBC up to 2012 since the move to
Channel 4. Under the new deal ITV will show a minimum of 40 days of horse racing live on
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was snatched from the BBC, in 2001 Epsom would switch to the BBC (Channel 4 would return with the Derby and Oaks in 2013), in 2002
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led coverage of major festivals such as
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The line-up was refreshed by new production company IMG Sports Media in 2013. Former BBC anchor
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although the BBC occasionally televised meetings from those tracks mostly the Saturday cards on
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In October 1989, Channel 4 Racing launched a weekly Saturday morning preview programme. Called
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The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from
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full time (after a few years of sharing with the BBC) and gained
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ended, Channel 4 took over ITV's Saturday afternoon coverage.
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mainly, but not exclusively, featured meetings from the
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951:2016 British television series endings
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587:Internationally, it has covered the
252:. On 5 October 1985, the week after
18:1984 British TV series or programme
37:The final logo of Channel 4 Racing
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849:Cook, Chris (2 December 2016).
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419:was added in 1989, in 1995
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78:Alistair Down (2001–2009)
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123:John Penney (1984–1994)
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163:Highflyer (1997–2012)
159:ITV Sport (1984–1992)
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285:alongside visits to
228:television stations
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458:from 2008 to 2016.
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832:. Retrieved
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763:Ian Bartlett
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43:Presented by
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747:Jim McGrath
712:John Oaksey
570:Royal Ascot
479:Royal Ascot
461:From 2013,
303:Eider Chase
130:(1994–2016)
121:(1984–1996)
108:(2015–2016)
103:(2013–2016)
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93:(2010–2016)
88:(2001–2016)
83:(2001–2016)
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67:Jim McGrath
64:(1984–2012)
59:(1984–2012)
54:(1984–1999)
52:John Oaksey
49:(1984–2001)
930:Categories
769:References
759:Simon Holt
698:Presenters
513:ITV Racing
421:Cheltenham
412:Grandstand
319:Nottingham
206:2016-12-27
196:1984-03-22
151:Production
128:Simon Holt
921:Channel 4
834:4 January
791:Racing UK
731:Nick Luck
641:Hong Kong
629:Japan Cup
625:Australia
617:Cox Plate
566:Doncaster
546:Newmarket
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508:ITV Sport
467:The Derby
452:Totesport
448:Racing UK
395:Southwell
391:Wincanton
387:Salisbury
383:Uttoxeter
379:Worcester
343:Catterick
339:Stratford
335:Towcester
299:Newcastle
271:Doncaster
263:Newmarket
246:Doncaster
230:Channel 4
179:Channel 4
156:Producers
113:Voices of
91:Nick Luck
808:2 August
785:Archived
755:AP McCoy
667:and the
572:and the
562:St Leger
560:and the
528:Coverage
485:and the
429:Goodwood
407:Wetherby
363:Hereford
351:Plumpton
347:Fontwell
331:Beverley
301:for the
289:for the
106:AP McCoy
885:19 July
671:in the
665:Germany
599:in the
506:, with
425:Newbury
417:Chester
399:Windsor
315:Warwick
283:Kempton
240:History
226:British
204: (
200: –
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189:Release
175:Network
146:English
916:Racing
659:, the
657:France
643:, the
627:, the
609:Canada
603:, the
548:, the
532:Major
371:Hexham
359:Thirsk
355:Redcar
830:. ITV
633:Japan
558:Epsom
556:from
550:Derby
456:Dubai
437:Ascot
375:Kelso
327:Ripon
267:Epsom
234:More4
183:More4
910:IMDb
887:2016
862:2016
836:2016
810:2013
737:and
554:Oaks
552:and
540:and
504:ITV4
477:and
309:and
293:and
275:York
232:and
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908:at
673:UAE
663:in
655:in
639:in
631:in
623:in
607:in
601:USA
582:ITV
578:BBC
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287:Ayr
250:ITV
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