Ed Chamberlin: A fine finish | ITV Racing's presenter reflects on the jumps season

For three quarters of the season it felt like a low key and slightly weird campaign, principally due to the lack of rain.

But then suddenly on day three of the Cheltenham Festival it burst into life. Sergio Aguero’s famous goal to win the Premier League at the Etihad in 2012 remains my greatest moment of presenting on TV, but that golden hour at Cheltenham with Bryony Frost and Frodon and then Andrew Gemell and Paisley Park runs it very close.

From there Tiger Roll took over. And my enduring memory of the 2018-19 season will be of the little horse's heroics both at the Cheltenham Festival and then the Grand National.

My wish for next season is that he stays fit, has another crack at history and continues to engage new people, young and old, in this wonderful sport.

I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve met in shops and on high streets that have come up to me and said they’ve given racing a try because of Tiger and now they are hooked.

I’ve also lost count on the number of people who have shouted out of cars, across bars, and on public transport to me – ‘go on the Tiger!’

That was my mission when I set out on this journey with ITV, to broaden racing’s audience and Tiger Roll is now my key weapon in achieving that goal.

It’s reflected by record viewing figures at the Cheltenham Festival and then 9.6 million watching the Grand National… a roll that’s kept going with 1.2 million watching the Scottish National, while at Newmarket’s Craven meeting we were up 85 per cent on the first day compared to last year.

It's all positive as we head towards the first Classics of the Flat season.

Sandown Finale

As always Sandown put on a fitting finale, and thankfully the participants stuck to the script.

I get a lot of stick for my liking of Bryony Frost – I even had letters asking how would I cope when she was out injured – but all the negativity makes me laugh, because anyone in racing knows how good she is for the sport.

She’s had a tough few weeks with her broken collarbone and just to show her popularity I haven’t seen a stampede to get to the Sandown winners’ enclosure to welcome her back on Black Corton since Sprinter Sacre won the Celebration Chase here in 2016.

It was amazing, a real charge to get there, but the biggest star on show was Altior in today’s renewal of the Celebration Chase. He’s probably the horse second on the list behind Tiger Roll as one that resonates outside of racing.

As always he gave us a scare, but as always he found a way to win. The winning machine that now holds the record of 19 unbeaten races over obstacles.

Hearing Nico De Boinville tell Oli Bell he needs a step up in trip and then Nicky Henderson confirming that is the plan on ITV is a mouthwatering prospect.

I sense Sir AP McCoy and Mick Fitzgerald both think he’ll win the King George with his head in his chest, although Cyrname may well have something to say about that.

And among all of this Richard Johnson is the constant. The champion again. It was interesting to hear him say on The Opening Show that he’s not going anywhere yet and you do start to wonder if he can break McCoy’s record of 4,358 winners.

He’s still some way to go after he rode his 3,622nd winner on Friday at Perth, and he is 42 after all, but there was still a look of horror on AP’s face when I asked him if Johnson could catch him.

Both Fitzgerald and McCoy think it’s unlikely and both paid a lovey tribute to Johnson, but to get another near 800 winners at his age really would be phenomenal.

Maybe, there are some legs to that story yet.

Finally, a big thank you to all the owners, trainers, jockeys, stable staff and most importantly the horses that made the year so special. Bring on the 2019-2020 jumps season.

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