AP McCoy joins Channel 4 Racing

30 October 2015

AP’s first broadcast with the Channel 4 team will be on the Saturday (14th November) of The Open at Cheltenham and he will also work on several of Channel 4’s premier racedays and festivals across both codes of the sport.

The sporting icon will work across Channel 4’s unrivalled schedule of live horseracing, joining a line-up of experts that includes Clare Balding, Nick Luck, Mick Fitzgerald, Emma Spencer, Alice Plunkett, Rishi Persad, Jim McGrath, Graham Cunningham, Simon Holt and Tanya Stevenson.

Channel 4 Racing viewers will be able to enjoy AP’s opinion and insight forged from 20 years of unparalleled success. 

There has never been a jockey like AP McCoy who has a mind blowing 4357 victories to his name, 20 consecutive Champion Jump Jockey titles, and has won virtually every major race including two Cheltenham Gold Cups, three Champion Hurdles and the Grand National.  In 2010, ‘The Champ’ was recognised as one of the greatest sportsman of our time by winning BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

As part of a new agreement, AP will work on The Open, the Hennessy Gold Cup, the William Hill King George, Cheltenham’s January Trials meeting, two days from Cheltenham Festival, the Crabbie’s Grand National and the Investec Derby.  He will also take in two days from Royal Ascot, additional days from York’s Ebor Festival and will re-join for the flat season finale QIPCO British Champions Day.

The agreement was coordinated by Claire Burns from Lloyd Burns Management.

AP McCoy said: “I’ve been very lucky and privileged to have enjoyed a fantastic career as a jump jockey.  I’m looking forward to working with Channel 4 over the next year and delighted to be back at some of the main festivals with a top presentation team.”

Ed Havard, Channel 4’s Head of TV Events, said: “AP is the most celebrated jockey in the world and is one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. His unrivalled knowledge of the sport will be an absolutely massive asset to our coverage and viewers will benefit from the insights of the most famous name in the sport. 

“Together with our existing team - including Clare Balding, Mick Fitzgerald and Nick Luck -  AP will help take Channel 4’s racing coverage to new levels. We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him to Channel 4.”

Clare Balding said: “I love the sport, the horses and the people in racing; and I feel particularly privileged to get the chance to work with AP McCoy. To hear his unique insight and opinion will be fascinating for all of us."

Trainer Jonjo O’Neill adds: “Channel 4 deserves much praise for recruiting AP – he will be a wonderful addition to their racing team.”

Richard Johnson, runner up to AP McCoy in the jockey’s title for the last 20 years, said: “It’s great that Channel 4 has managed to get AP on board.  It will be great for the racing public to see a different side of AP and it’s always important to get a rider’s point of view and his are second to none.”

Channel 4 Racing is sponsoredby Dubai.