Racing: New viewing figures run counter to TV gloom

The future of Channel 4's Morning Line programme received a timely fillip yesterday with the release of improved audience figures. Audiences for live racing on Saturday afternoons have also risen 11 per cent year on year.

David Kerr, Channel 4's head of sport, said yesterday: "There is no question regarding the Morning Line's future on Channel 4. Audiences have risen to 600,000 in recent weeks and this is almost a 25 per cent increase on the previous year.

"The show appears to be gaining popularity again and remains the racing programme that appeals beyond the traditional racing audience. Saturday's live racing audiences have also risen over 10 per cent, which is very strong when you consider that the attheraces digital channel has taken some of our viewers with their simulcasting of our races," Kerr added.

Concern has been growing in the racing industry following the closure of the Racing Channel at the end of January. Both Channel 4 and the BBC have recently announced future cutbacks in live coverage. Viewing figures for Channel 4's broadcast from the Cheltenham Festival will be anxiously awaited.

The highlight of the three-day meeting is the Gold Cup on 13 March and one of the leading contenders, Hussard Collonges, yesterday completed his final key workout before the big race.

Last year's Royal & SunAlliance Chase winner worked over a mile-and-three-quarters under his regular rider, Russ Garrity.

"Russ was happy and everything went to plan," Peter Beaumont, who trains Hussard Collonges, said. "We just need a bit of luck over the next fortnight to get him there in top shape. I'm hoping for a bit of rain in the run-up to the race but I'm trying not to panic yet.

"You've got to think he has a great chance in the race but there will be plenty of runners and all their trainers will probably be thinking the same."

Mark Bradburne may well miss Cheltenham after the jockey took a crashing fall from Clever Thyne in a handicap hurdle at Ludlow yesterday.

However, Bradburne remained upbeat and said: "It's one of those things, but I'm certainly not giving up and will go for x-rays when I get home. When I move my neck something crunches so it may be broken, but I've never broken anything before so I don't know what it really feels like, although I have dislocated my collar-bone before."

Bradburne had several rides already in the pipeline for the big meeting. "There's Starzan and possibly Reviewer for Hughie Morrison, Young Spartacus, Haut Cercy and Hand Inn Hand if Richard Johnson rode something else, although I wouldn't think he would!"

Better luck arrived at Ludlow for Jamie Goldstein, who ended a nightmare run of 123 losing rides. Goldstein struck with jumping newcomer North Point.

The 14-1 winner also ended a bad run for Roger Curtis. The Lambourn trainer saddled a winner on the Flat at Wolverhampton recently but this was his stable's first jumps success for almost a year.

On the Flat at Southwell yesterday, John Bramhill was knocked out in a fall and taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham. The freelance jockey was unseated on his way to the start of the opening race on an outsider, Sweet Aroma.