Racing ‘more inclusive than football' for women despite abuse of Sam Quek over ITV role
Model turned broadcaster Natalie Pike is on a mission to knock down stereotypes as the face of VirginBet's championing of women in racing
Horse racing is more inclusive than football for women despite the abuse experienced by former Olympian Sam Quek when she was hired by ITV Racing to cover the Grand National.
Quek, 36, a member of the winning GB hockey team at the 2016 London Games, has successfully transitioned to a career in television, working as a BBC presenter at the Tokyo Olympics, while also covering football, NFL and rugby union and appeared on reality shows including Strictly Come Dancing and I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.
She is also an enthusiastic horse racing fan who has owned horses that have run at the Cheltenham Festival and in the 1,000 Guineas.
Yet reactions to her addition to the ITV Racing stable at Aintree included comments on X such as 'Grand National ruined', 'What knowledge or expertise does she bring to it?'
Quek said she was 'surprised' and 'disappointed' by the comments. 'My experience of racing to that point had always been so positive, welcoming and inclusive. After the reaction to the ITV announcement, it feels like that has been flipped on its head,' she told the Racing Post.
Quek's experience was tackled by Natalie Pike, a former model and award-winning broadcaster who for the last ten years she has been a regular presenter of Premier League champions Manchester City 's live match day coverage.
She also works within horse racing as part of the RacedayTV team during the Cheltenham Festival and Grand National and as the host of VirginBet 'Women's Day' which celebrates the successes of women who work in the racing industry.
Pike, who knows Quek, said: 'My role with RacedayTV and the work I do in racing with VirginBet is about promoting racing and there is still a stigma for some people who feel that racing is just a sport for rich people, not necessarily for the working class, that you can't come for a day unless you've got extensive knowledge.
'What I am keen to do and what VirginBet does so well is to knock down those stereotypes. I am passionate about saying racing is for everybody.
'So if Sam Quek likes racing then let Sam Quek like racing. If you like racing, we are going to let you like racing. You don't have to have come from a horsey background, you don't have to have a family that owned a horse to be able to enjoy racing in 2025.
'I think she was a great appointment by ITV and I'm sure she feels exactly like I do in terms of loving a day out at the races.'
Pike hosted the third event in the series at Kempton on Monday where female racing professionals shared their experiences of working in the industry.
'We've had such varieties of jobs on the panels and the overarching message I've taken is that racing is really inclusive,' she said. 'There is always more we can do and everybody's message to young girls has been to go for it. To find a place in racing and enjoy what could be a very varied career.
'I've always found racing more welcoming and inclusive than football and still to this day. Since the day I started working for RacedayTV I have found it very welcoming. I've never felt anyone has questioned why I am there, which is not always the case in football.'
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