RACING: Investec Derby 2013 – Live on Channel 4

Britain’s richest horse race – the Investec Derby, considered the most prestigious of the UK’s five classics – returns to Channel 4 for the first time in 13 years.

Dating back to 1780, the Epsom Derby is still ranked the greatest flat race in the world and with winnings of £1.25m it has one of the biggest prize pots in UK racing, matched only by the prestige that victory on the famous course brings.

Ten live races will be broadcast on Channel 4 over the two days, featuring the Investec Oaks on Friday, May 31, followed by the blue-riband Investec Derby on Saturday, June 1, at 4.00pm.

WEEKEND WATCH: Sport On The Box – May 25-26

Sport On The Box presents a comprehensive guide to when and where to watch your favourite events this weekend.

With so many great sporting events taking place over one bumper weekend – from Froch v Kessler II to the UEFA Champions League Final, Monaco Grand Prix to French Open tennis and the Aviva Premiership Final to Wentworth’s BMW PGA Championship, it is all set to be a unmissable 48 hours for armchair fans.

ATHLETICS: Channel 4 to screen three major para-athletics events in 2013

Channel 4 has confirmed it will broadcast a triple-header of international para-athletics events this summer, following on from its hugely successful coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The broadcaster, which recently won a BAFTA award for its coverage of the 2012 Paralympics, will screen terrestrial coverage of the first ever Sainsbury’s IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final from Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium on June 29.

A month later, Channel 4 will also show the final day of the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday, July 28,  as well as extended coverage of the IPC Athletics World Championships from Lyon, which runs from July 19-28.

AWARDS: Channel 4 wins BAFTA award for London 2012 Paralympics coverage

Channel 4 has won the BAFTA TV award in the ‘Sport and Live Event’ category for its ground-breaking coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

The broadcaster fought off strong competition from the production team behind the London 2012 opening ceremony, as well as BBC Sport’s coverage of ‘Super Saturday’ at the London 2012 Olympics and the Wimbledon men’s singles final.

Commenting on stage on behalf of the Channel 4 on-air team at the ceremony staged at London’s Royal Festival Hall, former Paralympian Ade Adepitan, who co-presented alongside Clare Balding at the Games, said he was in shock that the broadcaster had claimed the prize.

RACING: QIPCO Guineas Festival 2013 – Live on Channel 4

The historic QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket sees a selection of Europe’s finest racehorses going head-to-head over the Rowley Mile in the famous 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas races, live on Channel 4 Racing.

This year’s festival is set to be even bigger than ever as the racecourse celebrates the 200th running of the 1,000 Guineas, one of British racing’s five Classics.

Providing the annual curtain raiser for the new Flat season, the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas kicks off the 2013 QIPCO British Champions Series and represents a great opportunity to capitalise on the buzz of a new season.

AWARDS: Clare Balding to receive special BAFTA TV award

Sports presenter Clare Balding is to receive a special award at next month’s BAFTA Television Awards.

She will be recognised for her ‘Outstanding Achievement in Factual Presenting’ at the ceremony to be held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on May 12.

The BAFTA committee described her work covering London 2012 – on the BBC for the Olympics and on Channel 4 for the Paralympics – had made her ‘a national treasure’.

AWARDS: Olympics, Paralympics and Wimbledon nominated for 2013 BAFTA TV sport award

The shortlist for the 2013 Arqiva BAFTA Television Awards have been announced with London 2012-related programmes and events dominating the main sports category.

The ‘Sport and Live Event’ nominations include the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony, the BBC’s coverage of Olympic ‘Super Saturday’ and the 2012 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final, as well as Channel 4’s Paralympic Games coverage.

Danny Boyle’s spectacular opening ceremony, which was broadcast live on BBC One to a record 30m viewers, is also nominated in the Radio Times Audience Award category, which is the only award decided by the public.

SPORTS VIEW: Channel 4 Racing at the Grand National… Encore!

SOTB’s regular contributor Vernon Grant has his say on Channel 4’s first ever Grand National broadcast.

After almost 30 years in the business, Channel 4 took over as the home of horse racing on free-to-air television at the beginning of 2013, bringing to an end the BBC’s 60-year reign on the sport’s crown jewel events, including the Aintree showpiece.

Since 1980, Vernon has been a producer of a number of televised sports programmes for major broadcasters, including Sky Sports, ITV and Channel 4, as well as several independent production companies.

He now runs the sports betting website VG Tips and here he gives us his unique and informed take on how Channel 4 handled their first attempt at the covering ‘The People’s Race’.

RACING: Channel 4 launches ‘Horse Tracker’ app

Channel 4 has launched a brand new second screen app which for the first time will allow viewers to track the position and speed of the horses in the John Smith’s Grand National.

As part of its commitment to broadcast the showpiece event for the first time in 2013, Channel 4 has introduced this ground-breaking innovation to bring viewers even closer to the world’s most famous horse race at Aintree this year.

The free Channel 4 Horse Tracker app is available to download immediately from the Apple App Store while a non-synchronised version of tracker will also be available online via the Channel 4 website.

RACING: Grand National 2013 – Live on Channel 4

The biggest test for racehorse and jockey awaits the runners of the world’s most famous horse race – the John Smith’s Grand National – live for the first time ever on Channel 4.

Known as the ‘People’s Race’, it captures the hearts and the imagination of inveterate racing fans and once-a-year viewers alike.

At four-and-a-half miles it is a marathon horse race in the extreme, severely testing the partnership between jockey and horse as they strive to clear 30 fences and negotiate two circuits of the famous Aintree course on their way to sporting immortality.

Channel 4 will broadcast the 2013 edition of the nation’s favourite horse race live on Saturday, April 6, as well as extensive coverage of all three days of the Aintree meeting (April 4-6), plus a range of support programming building up to the world’s most iconic horse race.

RACING: Dubai World Cup 2013 – Live on Channel 4 & Sky Sports

Some of the world’s finest runners and riders descend on the luxurious Meydan Racecourse to take part in the richest horse race in the world – the $10million Dubai World Cup.

Channel 4 will broadcast a special programme featuring live coverage of the 18th Dubai World Cup, along with selected races from Meydan in the main Channel 4 Racing programme on Saturday afternoon (March 30), while all eight races on the Meydan card will sbe hown as they happen on Sky Sports 4.

RACING: Channel 4 stages horse race through streets of Liverpool to promote Grand National coverage

Liverpool’s iconic city centre is the backdrop for a horse race as Channel 4 filmed a brand new marketing campaign ahead of its first ever Grand National, featuring a 10 horse race through the streets of the city.

Ahead of the 2013 John Smith’s Grand National meeting which takes place on April 4-6, the race featured horses and jockeys racing through the streets around Everton Park in the city – including jumping through back gardens, allotments; over cars and picnic benches.

Over 50 hours of footage was captured from 25 cameras that has been encapsulated into a 90-second trailer which premiered on all Channel 4 networks (C4, E4, More4 and Film4) at 9.00pm on Tuesday, March 19.