MICK Fitzgerald and Hayley Turner are the latest names to be confirmed on the team to present racing on ITV next year. Channel 4’s coverage of the sport comes to an end after Christmas. Former Sky Sports presented Ed Chamberlain will front the ITV programme along with Francesca Cumani, daughter of Newmarket trainer Luca. She has spent the last few years working with CNN’s Winning Post and Australia’s Channel Seven.

Mick Fitzgerald and Rishi Persad are the only two members of the current Channel 4 team who have been offered positions with ITV. Oli Bell joins from Racing UK, Hayley Turner from At The Races and Sally-Ann Grassick joins having worked for French racing channel Equidia for many years and more recently with RTE. There is no place in the new team for current Channel 4 regulars Nick Luck, Gina Harding and long-time betting ring presenter Tanya Stephenson. A.P. McCoy and Tom Lee will also be absent from the ITV coverage.

Matt Chapman of At The Races is being tipped as a possible betting reporter for ITV.

ITV TEAM

Ed Chamberlain, Francesa Cumani, Rishi Persad, Hayley Turner, Oli Bell, Sally Ann Grassick, Francesca Cumani, Mick Fitzgerald