The tempo and tone of Channel 4's racing coverage from January 1 when they take up the exclusively rights to the terrestrial broadcasting of the sport will be eagerly anticipated in the New Year.
The station has said it wants to be innovative and that will include introducing new faces across the coverage.
A natural: TV presenter Mark Evans
One plan will be to use presenter Mark Evans, the qualified vet who presents the popular C4 programme Inside Nature's Giants.
Evans has an interest in animal welfare issues, particularly surrounding pet obesity and greyhound racing.
He will be used to address biological and physiological issues with racehorses but, given his background, it would be no surprise to see him appear in Channel 4's first Grand National programming given the welfare agenda that goes with the famous steeplechase.
However, another famous C4 face, style guru Gok Wan, will not be recruited to be part of the Royal Ascot fashion analysis, according to Jamie Aitchison, Channel 4 Head of Sport.
Which is a shame. The Captain would have relished watching Gok advising Nick Luck on How To Look Good Naked!
Two Scoops won the Listed Novice Hurdle at Punchestown on Sunday for trainer Henry De Bromhead and his group of owners – The Dumb Dumb Syndicate - who are all apparently employees of Irish bookmaker Paddy Power.
The gelding's name might give a clue to his owners' hobbies along with racing and their syndicate name definitely does.
De Bromhead said: 'It's a drink which helps you get from one end of the Galway Festival to the other.'
Hydrogen, the sales topping £2.5million yearling purchased at Tattersalls in October and a half-brother to Derby winner Authorized, has arrived at the stable of trainer Peter Chapple-Hyam in Newmarket.
The colt was one of nine horses to race under the Qatar Racing banner which this week featured in the list of 2014 yearling entries for the Epsom Derby.
Trainer Andrew Balding and Paull Khan, racing director at Weatherbys, are among the figures associated with racing who have been recruited to a mentoring programme by Oxford Brookes University in partnership with Abingdon and Witney College to support their equine students.
The programme for students studying a BSc degree in Equine Science and Thoroughbred Management. The experts in their respective fields will provide career advice via an online forum.
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