Jim McGrath (born 22 May 1955) is an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

pundit A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport). Origins The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...

and broadcaster. He was associated with

Timeform Timeform is a sports data and content provider located in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1948, it provides systematic information on form to punters and others involved in the horse racing industry. The company was purchased by ...

from 1974 until 2009. His nickname is "The Sage of Halifax". He is well known for his onscreen relationship with

John Francome John Francome (born 13 December 1952) is a retired 7 time British Champion Jump Jockey. In addition to being a successful jockey, Francome was previously a racing trainer, broadcaster with Channel 4 and an author. Racing career Francome fir ...

Channel 4 Racing ''Channel 4 Racing'' was the name given to the horse racing coverage on the British television stations Channel 4 and More4. History The first transmission of racing on the channel was on 22 March 1984 from Doncaster, as it took over midweek cov ...

. McGrath had an ambition to become a

jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...

, but after a summer at trainer Bill Marshall's yard at Whitsbury, he was advised that he wouldn't make the grade. On leaving Brunts School in

Mansfield Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area (followed by Sutton-in-Ashfield). It gained the Royal Charter of a market tow ...

, McGrath joined publisher Timeform in 1974 "putting the glue on the cards." After five years, he became a

racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

reporter, in 2000 Managing Director and in August 2008

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

. McGrath joined

at launch in 1984 as a pundit having started with ITV as a presenter in 1981. He was a member of the British Horseracing Board's Jump Racing Advisory Panel from 1993 until mid-2004. In 2004 he stepped down as a member of the Horserace Writers and Photographers’ Association Committee. In 2005 he became an independent director of the British Horseracing Board, a nominee of the

Jockey Club The Jockey Club is the largest commercial horse racing organisation in the United Kingdom. It owns 15 of Britain's famous racecourses, including Aintree, Cheltenham, Epsom Downs and both the Rowley Mile and July Course in Newmarket, amo ...

. and retained this position when the BHB became the

British Horseracing Authority The British Horseracing Authority, also known simply as the BHA, is the regulatory authority for horse racing in Great Britain. It was formed on 31 July 2007, after the merger of the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and the Horseracing Regulat ...

in July 2007. McGrath is a breeder and owner, with current interests in horses in training with Sylvester Kirk,

Jamie Osborne Jamie Osborne may refer to: * Jamie Osborne (jockey), English racehorse trainer and former jockey * Jamie Osborne (rugby union) Jamie Osborne (born 16 November 2001) is an Irish professional rugby union player who plays as a fullback for Unite ...

and Jonjo O’Neill. McGrath gave notice of his intention to resign from Timeform on 22 December 2008. Timeform had been bought by

Betfair Betfair is a British Gambling, gambling company which operates the world's largest online betting exchange. Its product offering also includes sports betting, online casino, online poker, and online bingo. Founded in 2000, the business is split ...

in November 2006, but the reason for McGrath's resignation remained private. McGrath maintained his involvement with the charity race day at

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

in June which had been known from 1971 until 2008 as the Timeform Charity Day but in 2009 became the

Macmillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMillan ...

Charity Day. On 17 December 2016 it was announced on Channel 4 that this was to be his last appearance as part of the Channel Four Racing Team. However when racing returned on ITV in January 2017 surprisingly he did not come back to the network where he started his TV career.

References

External links

Bio at the

British Horseracing Board __FORCETOC__ From 10 June 1993 until 30 July 2007, the British Horseracing Board (BHB) was the governing authority for horseracing in Great Britain. It was created in 1993, and took on responsibilities previously held by the Jockey Club. This wa ...

Living people British horse racing writers and broadcasters 1955 births {{UK-tv-journalist-stub