The six-part series goes behind the scenes to give viewers a fascinating insight into the exciting world of jumps racing.
The ITV cameras were allowed a rare peak into the inner sanctum of the weighing room as the sport’s stars of the saddle are seen like never before.
The jockey’s changing room is almost unique in professional sport. Racing is one of the very few sports when competitors sit side-by-side with their opponents.
Throw in the dangerous nature of riding racehorses over fences and you get a camaraderie like no other. It can also lead to tensions overspilling on occasions.
The second series of Champions: Full Gallop charts last season with all its thrills, spills, highs and lows that make racing such an exciting sport.
It follows Harry Cobden in his attempt to retain the Champion Jockeys’ crown he won for the first time the previous spring.
Across the room Sean Bowen and Harry Skelton have their sights on snatching the prestigious title for themselves. The rivalry is friendly but that doesn’t detract from the focus, determination and competitive nature of any of the riders.
And this time, the stakes are even higher. The introduction of the £1.3m David Power Jockeys’ Cup has given the jockeys a huge financial incentive in the races televised by ITV.
With a first prize of £500,000 for the overall winner, these are life-changing sums.
As Coben – a West Country lad through and through – puts it, he could buy a holiday home with the winnings. Barbados? South of France? No. Dorset. A nice little spot, according to Sean Bowen.
Afterall, such is their dedication, when do these guys and girls get the chance for a foreign holiday?
Later on in the series, Champions: Full Gallop focusses on the battle for the Trainers’ Championship. It is no less enthralling.
As Dan Skelton reveals when asked what his motto for the season is, he simply replies “win”.
That’s a statement of intent he goes a long, long way to fulfilling. Heading into the Scottish Grand National meeting at Ayr and with just two weeks of the season to go, long-time leader Skelton has a healthy advantage.
Many people consider it’s a case of if, not when, he becomes Champion Trainer, but he has the spectre of jump racing’s powerhouse Willie Mullins closing him down.
After Mullins returns to Ireland with the big-race trophy and a hefty chunk of prizemoney, it all goes down to a thrilling shootout on the final day of the season at Sandown.
It’s yet another chapter in jump racing’s age-old rivalry between Ireland and Britain. It’s a battle that looks sure to play out on the sport’s biggest stages again this winter.
The big players will return, more determined than ever, more confident than ever.
As Skelton puts it: “Next year we are going to mop up. We are going to sweep the floor.”
It’s going to be another superb season of the most exciting sport imaginable and Champions: Full Gallop is the perfect way to whet the appetite.
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