Racing: Fresh focus for punters: Greg Wood reports on a video venture to keep backers in the picture

Greg Wood
Wednesday 20 April 1994 23:02 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

FRESH ideas in racing tend to be greeted like an attack of ringworm in the Derby favourite, so the producers of Going Behind, a monthly video magazine now approaching its fourth edition, must be applauded for their bravery at least.

Praiseworthy too is their decision to target punters, rather than racing professionals. Where Racing World, a longer-established video, is highbrow to the point of snobbery, Going Behind is unashamedly aimed at people who bet, and do so regularly.

Features include a trawl through SIS footage from the minor meetings to highlight runners which were perhaps not giving their all, while a major forthcoming race is also analysed (the inaugural video tipped Monsieur Le Cure, the Sun Alliance Chase winner, at 16-1). Paul Haigh, the Racing Post's award-winning columnist, is a frequent contributor, while Nick Mordin offers more general advice on better betting.

Mordin is a natural, wrapping up advice in a bouncy, witty delivery. Unfortunately, his talent tends to show up the austerity elsewhere, though his fellow presenters can perhaps be forgiven a lack of fizz since Going Behind appears to have been recorded in the punishment block of a Grade A prison. No-one expects Hollywood production values, of course, but a video should surely offer a degree of visual appeal.

A far less tractable problem is timing. The most recent edition of Going Behind gave much consideration to the Grand National, and assumed of necessity that the going would not be soft. Forty-eight hours of rain before the race was not the producers' fault, but at pounds 12.99 a throw, it might feel like yours.

If it was a two-year-old, Going Behind would be described as green and unfurnished, but showing definite signs of talent. One to follow.

Going Behind is available from Worldwide Subscriptions, Unit 4, Gibbs Reed Farm, Ticehurst, East Sussex TN5 7HE, price pounds 12.99 + pounds 1.60 p & p. Credit card orders on 0580 200 657.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in