ITV add to coverage of major sporting event after surprise change to schedule with much-loved reporter to return
ITV are set to air a race at a major sporting event for the first time.
The Prix de l’Abbaye – a horse racing event started in 1957 – will be broadcast by ITV following a late change of schedule on the Arc day.
The race will now commence on Sunday thanks to a change to the Arc Day running order, which has moved the Group 1 sprint up to the third race on the card.
Oli Bell is set to reprise his role as a reporter for the Longchamp event.
He admitted to being delighted by the turn of events, with the race now able to be shown during ITV’s three-hour coverage from 12.45 before climaxing with the Arc itself at 3.20.
Bell said: “Over the last few years I’ve been the sole reporter at Longchamp for ITV and it’s a brilliant event to cover, so I’m delighted we are doing so once again.
“Having the Abbaye is a really good addition. Given the way the schedule has fallen we’ve missed out on some great stories like A Case Of You in recent years.”
The Abbaye has previously been the opening race on the card, but in recent years gave way to the junior races which meant it fell out of ITV’s broadcast window.
Speaking about this year’s race, Bell added: “Richard Hughes’ filly [No Half Measures] seems to be improving and, were she to win the Abbaye, to be able to show that from a UK point of view is a great addition to the coverage.”
ITV showed the first four races of the event from 2017 to 2022, but this year’s show on ITV3 will start with the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the Prix Marcel Boussac, followed by the Abbaye and the Qatar Arabian World Cup.
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The Arc will go back to the fifth race in the schedule and run 15 minutes later than previous years.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports racing will cover the two days of the Arc meeting at Longchamp, including the Prix de l’Opera and Prix de la Foret, which are run after ITV go off air.