Both the Professional Jockeys Association and National Trainers Federation have pledged to support a series that will be produced by independent company South Shore, whose previous output has included the BBC's Bafta-nominated Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams and programmes featuring television chefs The Hairy Bikers. NTF chief executive Paul Johnson welcomed "a simply brilliant initiative for the sport", while interim PJA chief executive Dale Gibson expressed delight at the opportunity to show off "the skills, determination and personalities" of Britain's jump jockeys.
The six episodes are being made with the commercial backing of Flutter – whose bookmaker brands include Betfair, Paddy Power and Sky Bet – and Racecourse Media Group.
The search for a big docuseries has become a holy grail for most sports since Drive To Survive first appeared on Netflix. Numerous other series have appeared covering a variety of sports on different streaming platforms, but although Equine Productions have produced programmes focused on the yards of Andrew Balding and Colin Tizzard, neither enjoyed mainstream television exposure.
Casting for the six one-hour shows is due to begin this month, with South Shore keen to focus not necessarily on the sport's top stars but individuals with whom the public is most likely to engage. ITV's streaming service ITVX will also provide a home to a series that will concentrate on jump racing due to a belief it is better suited than Flat racing to delivering the colour, drama and characters those responsible for the series want to present.
