The Opening Show: A Symphony for the Snooze Button

The Opening Show, ITV Racing’s attempt to make Saturday mornings sparkle—a programme supposedly designed to capture the grace, excitement, and sheer drama of horse racing. Instead, what do we get? Not a thrilling overture but a dreary, repetitive plod through the same tired format every week, as though someone’s replaced the orchestra with a man playing the spoons in a deserted Wetherspoons.

Where is the spectacle? The drama? The sense of theatre that racing, at its best, provides? This is a sport of thundering hooves and heart-stopping finishes, yet The Opening Show reduces it to a formulaic hour designed to improve the margins of Paddy Power while sending viewers back to bed.

Pundits Who Could Lull You to Sleep

Part of the problem lies with the show’s lineup, a collection of pundits so inoffensive you’d barely notice if they were replaced with cardboard cutouts. Oli Bell, ever the affable school prefect, hosts proceedings with the kind of enthusiasm that suggests he’d much rather be anywhere else. Then there’s Tom Scudamore, who brings the excitement of a man explaining the finer points of grout application.

Where’s the tension? The fun? The characters who can light up a broadcast? Racing once had the likes of John Francome and John McCririck—men who could turn a dull morning preview into a gladiatorial arena of sharp wit and fiery debate. Francome had the charm and razor-sharp observations, while McCririck, for all his eccentricities, brought a sense of theatre and unpredictability.

Now, it’s as though the producers are terrified of hiring anyone who might actually have an opinion, let alone a personality. Instead, we get endless platitudes about "good ground" and horses "in great form." It’s racing by committee, and it’s about as exciting as watching paint dry on a stable door.

Same Old, Same Old

If the punditry doesn’t send you to sleep, the format will. Week after week, it’s the same tedious routine: race previews, betting angles, and the occasional half-hearted trainer interview that offers all the insight of a weather report in a drought. It’s as though the producers have mistaken predictability for professionalism, churning out the same show every Saturday like a factory assembly line.

Where’s the creativity? The moments of levity? The willingness to take risks? Racing is a sport bursting with characters and stories, yet The Opening Show somehow makes it all feel like an extended advert for betting slips. The whole affair is so sterile, so devoid of energy, that you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a broadcast from the tax office.

A Glimpse of Light Amidst the Gloom

The only real relief from this weekly grind is the segments that take us out of the studio and into the training centres. These glimpses of racing life—the early morning gallops, the hard graft of stable hands, the personalities of trainers and their horses—offer a rare breath of fresh air. It’s as if the programme suddenly remembers that horse racing is about horses, not spreadsheets.

The so-called "home schooling" moments—those segments where viewers are taken behind the scenes at Lambourn or Newmarket—are a welcome respite from the relentless betting chatter. Seeing a young jockey learning the ropes, or a trainer explaining the quirks of their best runner, is a reminder of the soul and humanity behind the sport. For a fleeting moment, The Opening Show feels alive, connected to the beating heart of racing.

But then it’s back to the studio, back to ploughing through the racecards like an uninspired teacher slogging through a PowerPoint presentation.

Ploughing Through Racecards for Paddy Power

Let’s be honest: The Opening Show isn’t about celebrating racing. It’s about servicing the punters—or more specifically, the bookmakers. The entire programme feels geared towards betting markets, with just enough form analysis to keep it from being labelled an infomercial.

Every segment is carefully calibrated to steer you toward the favourite or a tempting each-way bet, all in the name of maximising bookie profits. The actual excitement of the sport—the raw athleticism, the human drama, the unpredictability—is treated as little more than an afterthought.

This laser focus on betting isn’t just dull; it’s alienating. For the casual viewer—the kind who might otherwise be drawn in by racing’s stories and spectacle—the constant parade of odds and market movements is about as appealing as a wet Tuesday at Southwell.

The Dwindling Audience

Is it any wonder that racing’s audience is dwindling? The Opening Show isn’t just failing to attract new fans; it’s actively driving them away. Where’s the effort to make racing feel accessible, exciting, or even vaguely fun? Other sports have cracked the formula. Football shows thrive on lively debates and tactical breakdowns. Formula 1 has turned its behind-the-scenes drama into a global sensation. Even darts, with its flashing lights and walk-on anthems, manages to feel fresh and entertaining.

Meanwhile, racing shuffles along with all the urgency of a rank outsider in a six-furlong slog, clinging to a format that feels like it was designed in the 1980s and left to gather dust ever since.

A Few Suggestions for Fresh Legs

If The Opening Show wants to avoid becoming the TV equivalent of lukewarm tea, it needs to shake things up:

1. Bring Back Characters
   Racing is full of big personalities—why aren’t they on screen? Find the modern-day Francomes and McCriricks, people who aren’t afraid to stir the pot or say what they really think.

2. Tell Real Stories
   Racing has incredible human drama, from the young jockey chasing their first big win to the veteran trainer looking for one last triumph. Highlight these stories instead of churning through betting angles.

3. Add Some Fun
   Where’s the banter? The moments of levity? Let the pundits loosen up and actually enjoy themselves—it might just be contagious.

4. Ditch the Predictability
   Mix up the format. Throw in more behind-the-scenes features, historical context, or even a few debates. Anything to make the show feel less like Groundhog Day.

A Missed Opportunity

Horse racing is a sport with all the ingredients for great television: speed, spectacle, and stories. But The Opening Show squanders it all, reducing the day’s action to a dull procession of racecards and bookmaker-friendly tips.

Until ITV Racing realises that fans crave more than just betting slips and platitudes, The Opening Show will remain what it is: a dreary trot through the motions, as predictable and uninspiring as a 1-20 favourite in a novice chase. The rare glimpses of life from the training centres remind us of what the programme could be—a celebration of the grit and glamour of racing. But for now, those moments are just diamonds in a sea of grey.

Racing deserves better. And frankly, so do we.