The ITV Seven
Encyclopedia
The ITV Seven was an essential part of World of Sport
in the United Kingdom
. It started on 4 October 1969 when the programme began to show horse racing
from two courses each week rather than one, under the title "They're Off". In the early 1970s it changed to the ITV Seven, reflecting the number of races it showed each week. The ITV Seven was also the title of a fiendishly difficult accumulator bet where vast sums of money could be won if you correctly predicted the winners of all seven races.
The weekly live coverage came from racecourses such as Sandown Park, York
, Newmarket
, Doncaster
, Newcastle
and Redcar
. More minor tracks like Warwick
, Catterick
and Market Rasen
were also extensively featured, especially during the National Hunt season in the winter, when ITV had the rights to fewer of the big races. Meetings from Goodwood
and Haydock Park
appeared occasionally, and a meeting from Ascot
was shown as a one-off in 1977 when the BBC
were covering the Grand National
at Aintree
. From January 1980 onwards, meetings from Kempton Park
were shown regularly - before that time, Kempton meetings were on the BBC and were featured on Grandstand
.
Over the years, the live coverage was presented by John Rickman (until 1977), Brough Scott
, Ken Butler, Lord Oaksey
(initially known on the programme as John Lawrence, and subsequently becoming John Oaksey after he succeeded to the peerage), and Derek Thompson and Jim McGrath
(from 1981 onwards). Race commentators were Tony Cooke and Bob Haynes (in the first couple of years), John Penney and Raleigh Gilbert
(the main commentators from 1972 to 1980) and Graham Goode
(the main commentator from 1981). When racing was impossible due to the weather, greyhound racing
would often be shown instead (those were the days before all-weather horse racing).
The feature was sometimes known (especially in later years) as the ITV Six, the ITV Five or even the ITV Four if fewer races were being shown. On these occasions, the bet would be on the remaining televised races, and would be comparatively easy to win, although still exceptionally hard. In the 1980s ITV reduced its racing coverage, and often in the last years of World of Sport only one meeting would be shown. The last ITV Seven came from Kempton Park and Thirsk
on 7 September 1985, three weeks before the last World of Sport, which only covered one meeting, at Redcar. ITV's midweek racing coverage had already been on Channel 4
since 22 March 1984; from 5 October 1985 the Saturday afternoon coverage also moved to the fourth channel, permanently becoming Channel 4 Racing
, although it was reduced in scope considerably at the start of 1986, and would not become as extensive as it was in the ITV era until the late 1990s.
World of Sport (UK TV series)
World of Sport was a British television sport anthology programme which ran on ITV between 2 January 1965 to 28 September 1985 in response to competition from BBC's Grandstand...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It started on 4 October 1969 when the programme began to show horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
from two courses each week rather than one, under the title "They're Off". In the early 1970s it changed to the ITV Seven, reflecting the number of races it showed each week. The ITV Seven was also the title of a fiendishly difficult accumulator bet where vast sums of money could be won if you correctly predicted the winners of all seven races.
The weekly live coverage came from racecourses such as Sandown Park, York
York Racecourse
York Racecourse is a horse racing track in the southwest of the city of York in North Yorkshire, England with a spectator capacity of 60,000. The most famous race to be held at York on an annual basis is the Ebor Handicap, which is run during the Ebor Festival meeting in August...
, Newmarket
Newmarket Racecourse
The town of Newmarket, in Suffolk, England, is the headquarters of British horseracing, home to the largest cluster of training yards in the country and many key horse racing organisations. Newmarket Racecourse has two courses - the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping...
, Doncaster
Doncaster Racecourse
Doncaster Racecourse is a racecourse in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It hosts two of Great Britain's 31 Group 1 flat races, the St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy.- History :...
, Newcastle
Newcastle Racecourse
Newcastle Racecourse is a horse racing course located at Gosforth Park near Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It stages both flat and National Hunt racing, with its biggest meeting being the Northumberland Plate held annually in June.-History:...
and Redcar
Redcar Racecourse
Redcar Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Redcar, North Yorkshire, England.Its address is Redcar Racecourse Ltd, Thrush Road, Redcar TS10 2BYRedcar is Yorkshire's seaside track, oval-shaped and perfectly flat...
. More minor tracks like Warwick
Warwick Racecourse
Warwick Racecourse is a horse racing course in Warwick, England. It is a leading flat racing and steeple chasing course, and has a programme of 25 meetings throughout the year, many of which are televised. The first stand was built in 1808, it has recently undergone a major refurbishment of its...
, Catterick
Catterick Bridge Racecourse
Catterick Bridge Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in the hamlet of Catterick Bridge in North Yorkshire, England.The Catterick Sunday Market, held on the racecourse grounds, is the largest Sunday Market in the North of England....
and Market Rasen
Market Rasen Racecourse
Market Rasen Racecourse is a National Hunt racecourse in the town of Market Rasen, in Lincolnshire, England.The course is a right-handed oval with a circumference of around one-and-a-quarter miles...
were also extensively featured, especially during the National Hunt season in the winter, when ITV had the rights to fewer of the big races. Meetings from Goodwood
Goodwood Racecourse
Goodwood Racecourse is a horse-racing track five miles north of Chichester, West Sussex, in England controlled by the family of the Duke of Richmond, whose seat is nearby Goodwood House...
and Haydock Park
Haydock Park Racecourse
Haydock Park Racecourse is a racecourse in Haydock, Merseyside, England. The track is a mostly flat left-handed oval of around 1 mile 5 furlongs with a very slight rise on the run-in. There are courses for flat racing and National Hunt racing...
appeared occasionally, and a meeting from Ascot
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
was shown as a one-off in 1977 when the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
were covering the Grand National
Grand National
The Grand National is a world-famous National Hunt horse race which is held annually at Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, England. It is a handicap chase run over a distance of four miles and 856 yards , with horses jumping thirty fences over two circuits of Aintree's National Course...
at Aintree
Aintree Racecourse
Aintree Racecourse is a racecourse in Aintree, Merseyside, England.It was served by Aintree Racecourse railway station until the station closed in the 1960s....
. From January 1980 onwards, meetings from Kempton Park
Kempton Park Racecourse
Kempton Park Racecourse is a horse racing track in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, England, which is a western suburb of London 16 miles from the city centre. The site is set in of land....
were shown regularly - before that time, Kempton meetings were on the BBC and were featured on Grandstand
Grandstand (BBC)
Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock...
.
Over the years, the live coverage was presented by John Rickman (until 1977), Brough Scott
Brough Scott
John Brough Scott is a British horse racing journalist, radio and television presenter, and former jockey. He is also the grandson and biographer of the noted Great War soldier "Galloper Jack" Seely....
, Ken Butler, Lord Oaksey
John Lawrence, 2nd Baron Oaksey
John Geoffrey Tristram Lawrence, 4th Baron Trevethin, 2nd Baron Oaksey is a British aristocrat, horse racing journalist and television commentator/presenter, and former amateur jockey. He is the son of the noted jurist Geoffrey Lawrence, 1st Baron Oaksey. He prefers to be called Oaksey although...
(initially known on the programme as John Lawrence, and subsequently becoming John Oaksey after he succeeded to the peerage), and Derek Thompson and Jim McGrath
Jim McGrath (British commentator)
Jim McGrath is an English-based horse racing pundit and broadcaster. He was associated with Timeform from 1974 until 2009.McGrath had an ambition to become a jockey, but after a summer at trainer Bill Marshall's yard at Whitsbury, he was advised that he wouldn't make the grade...
(from 1981 onwards). Race commentators were Tony Cooke and Bob Haynes (in the first couple of years), John Penney and Raleigh Gilbert
Raleigh Gilbert
Walter Raleigh Willock Gilbert, known as Raleigh Gilbert was a British horse racing commentator active for 40 years.-Early life:...
(the main commentators from 1972 to 1980) and Graham Goode
Graham Goode
Graham Goode is a British horse racing commentator best known for his long association with ITV and Channel 4.-Commentary career:...
(the main commentator from 1981). When racing was impossible due to the weather, greyhound racing
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
would often be shown instead (those were the days before all-weather horse racing).
The feature was sometimes known (especially in later years) as the ITV Six, the ITV Five or even the ITV Four if fewer races were being shown. On these occasions, the bet would be on the remaining televised races, and would be comparatively easy to win, although still exceptionally hard. In the 1980s ITV reduced its racing coverage, and often in the last years of World of Sport only one meeting would be shown. The last ITV Seven came from Kempton Park and Thirsk
Thirsk Racecourse
Thirsk Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, England. The course is a left handed oval of about 1m2f with a 3f finishing straight and a 6f chute...
on 7 September 1985, three weeks before the last World of Sport, which only covered one meeting, at Redcar. ITV's midweek racing coverage had already been on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
since 22 March 1984; from 5 October 1985 the Saturday afternoon coverage also moved to the fourth channel, permanently becoming Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing
Channel 4 Racing is the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television station Channel 4.-History:The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek coverage which had previously been on ITV...
, although it was reduced in scope considerably at the start of 1986, and would not become as extensive as it was in the ITV era until the late 1990s.