Despite the improvement in technology and the amount of aids at our disposal to watch, listen and place a race bet, the quality of presentation has got worse. Last night, armed with my lap top, I endeavoured to be anywhere else in the house, apart from my desk top computer and foxtel, and place bets just before the jump. That meant having a Walkman in one ear and listening to racing radio.

I must have missed 10 races in a row, before the predator in me started to come out! By the time they 'cross' to the track, the race is running in real time. Talking Dogs and Harness mostly. There's no warm up live commentary, the studio bloke is banging on with divvies or when the newest TAB's going to open etc. The whole things contrived to give a live punter as little an edge as possible, timing wise. Where not alone though, if that makes you feel better, and for a chuckle I've pasted a post from Bet Angel UK forum by JollyGreen:

"Generally you have a presenter and an expert. They tend to stand there like a pair of book ends looking at each other and then switching to the camera. They blow warm air up one another's.......and talk total guff about the race. We get to hear "I passed the horsebox of that trainer on the journey here" or "He was the first trainer I saw when I arrived" or "the owner is here today" and they use these mundane and very old clichés to offer some kind of tip, a reason why you should back a particular runner. Unfortunately they also find out clichés to describe other runners so when the race is run they manage to throw in the "we gave a mention for that runner!" At this point I am screaming at the TV "yes along with every other sodding horse in the race!"

Now, having heard MXXX XXXXX statement about presenters not being tipsters I have to ask myself one simple question "What the **** do they do then?" Seriously, what are they there for? I listen to their inane drivel and you can count the winning tips on the finger of one finger....as MXXX XXXXX stated live on TV! Why do we need them, why are they paid to sit/stand and offer nothing but bog standard facts anyone could glean from the racing post or another racing website? Surely we could ditch them and concentrate on commentary on the paddock/gallop to the start/gathering at the start etc? We wouldn't have to leave some total guff to suddenly switch to an already started race!

Then we have people like JXX XXXXXX who stands in the paddock reading from the Racing Post. He mentions the horse box, seeing the trainer, blah blah blah. He talks about the sire and the dam and how it performed last time out, all taken from the Racing Post. Then when push comes to shove they ask him for his selection he offers the profound words he always utters "I'll stick with the favourite I think he will take the world of beating!" AAARRGGGGGHHHH! How did I know you would say that Jim!! So the favourite is stuffed out of sight but undeterred and without an inkling of embarrassment he says "I did say this one ran well last time out so maybe that race put him spot on" yet another classic after timer quote!"