Sky’s plot to snatch racing crown jewels

SKy SPORTS are said to be planning a major TV rights raid on horse racing with the intention of devoting two dedicated channels to the sport.

Sky are the major shareholders in specialist broadcasters At The Races, which will be rebranded Sky Sports Racing next year or earlier.

Then the perceived strategy is to challenge ITV, who have two and a half more years left on their current deal, for the rights to top meetings including the Cheltenham Festival and Royal Ascot.

Martin Cruddace, chief executive of Arena Racing Company, whose racecourses are covered by

At The Races, outlined Sky’s serious racing ambitions to a group of leading trainers recently.

Sky have the resources to outbid ITV for a contract which costs them around £20m a year.

But prime terrestrial coverage and the audience ITV brings is very important to racing authorities. They currently remain committed to ITV, who they believe have done an excellent job.

THERE is understandable angst inside TALKSPORT that lead presenter Alan Brazil was yet again missing from his breakfast show yesterday, which is being broadcast from his beloved Cheltenham. Bon viveur Brazil finding himself in no fit state after a Festival drinking session to turn up for work the following morning has become part of Cheltenham folklore. But staff don’t like the fact their management never properly discipline booze-obsessed Brazil (right) for his erratic behaviour that no one else on the station would get away with. A talkSPORT spokeswoman said Brazil had been unwell with a sore throat. THE Football League and Championship side Fulham have agreed to ditch new radio station Love Sport’s perimeter advertising line: ‘More gobby than Carragher’ for their live televised match against QPR tomorrow.

A Football League spokesman said last night that the promotion was ‘wholly inappropriate’ coming so soon after Sky pundit Jamie Carragher’s spitting incident. Sky say that they were not involved in the decision to ban the advert.

ONLY at Cheltenham would you see a racegoer march into the course’s Bentley showroom and put down a £125,000 cash deposit for a racing green special edition Bentley Bentayga with bespoke racing-themed fittings costing £238,000. The anonymous buyer reportedly owns a recycling plant. Hopefully that isn’t where his new Bentley is immediately heading.