LISTENING to an interview on the Anton Savage Show on TodayFM on Tuesday, current Rose of Tralee Meath’s Elysha Brennan told of her life in her Rose year. It concluded with discussion on this year’s contest.

“So have you any tips, who should we have a bet on?,” asked Anton. There it was, the dirty word, betting, in the middle of the Rose Of Tralee discussion!

But it goes to show that, like it or not, betting has a place in everyday life.

Tell anyone you work for a horse racing newspaper and you’ll be asked, not what do you think of Willie Mullins or Aidan O’Brien, but do you get any tips?

If you work with horses, stay away from the village Post Office around Cheltenham or Galway or you’ll be asked the same. Any winners?

Offer a friend €10 to play the lottery, that’s fine, but offer to put the €10 on a horse, different story, that’s a murkier world.

Betting often gets a raw deal, even before Mark Johnson’s damnation of its TV coverage and his desire to exclude it from the racing programmes.

Betting coverage fills a wide span, from those wagering on a favourite at morning prices with a volume of money push it from 6/4 to odds-on, to those just wanting you to put €5 each-way in the National.

It’s all part of the same game, and shouldn’t be completely ignored. And that’s not forgetting the sponsorship contribution made by bookmakers to racing and TV coverage.

The colour and intrigue can be part of mainstream TV coverage of racing without detracting or alienating those who don’t generally bet.

Perhaps it’s not the betting that may be in the wrong place but the presentation of betting. The betting ring does not have to be presented as an unsavoury place. Nev’s Nuggets can have the same appeal as the chicken variety, not particularly attractive or satisfying. A panel of suited tipsters going through the card for solely betting purposes make for dull viewing.

The persistent adverts on all channels - 60 second cutaways from the horses are annoying, no doubt, just as much as accidently clicking in the wrong spot on a racing website and being brought to a betting site when you want to look up breeding.

What is needed is to attempt to make every element of racing appeal to a wider audience. Not just “So and So is drifting on the exchanges” or a list of prices positives and negatives, or asking all and sundry on the rails in “Tommo” mode, who they think will win.

ITV’s new racing team appear to have given a lot of thought to bringing in new blood and presenters who appeal to a wide range of viewers. Easy on the eye but knowledgeable. The presentation of betting information should be given as much thought.

John McCririck and Geoff Banks may come from different end of the sartorial spectrum but neither have mass appeal. The mixtures of sexism, too loud, wise guys, can unfortunately, mask some very relevant debates of important issues concerning those who like to bet.

Put someone like Clare Balding in the betting ring and see what might happen.

RTE’s betting coverage, with the enthusiasm of Brian Gleeson and with Tom Lee situated in the heart of the action makes for entertaining viewing.

Indeed in the sunshine on Irish Oaks day last Saturday there were all ages and both sexes wandering through behind them.

And it can be informative and entertaining. Early in Sunday’s Irish Oaks broadcast, Tom reminded us that the Ribblesdale winners had “wretched records” in following up in the Oaks.

Pay the betting ring more not less attention, in the appropriate slots and see what the feedback is.