Sam Quek on day four of the 2025 Cheltenham Festival

Sam Quek joins ITV Racing team for Grand National Festival 2025

By Sporting Life

Horse Racing

Thu March 20, 2025 · 3d ago

Sam Quek says she needs to "temper expectations" following the response to the news she'll be joining the ITV Racing team for Aintree.

Former international hockey star and television presenter Quek has been signed up by ITV to play a part alongside regular host Oli Bell on the Social Stable as part of the production throughout the three-day Randox Grand National Festival which starts in two weeks' time.

The Rio Olympics gold medallist, who is originally from the Wirral on Merseyside and has been ambassador for Aintree's biggest meeting in the past, recently starred on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and has owned racehorses alongside her husband, the property entrepreneur Tom Mairs.

Quek is excited about getting started on ITV Racing but feels the level of her involvement may have been misunderstood in certain quarters.

Speaking to Tom Stanley on Thursday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast, she said: "I can’t wait to get to Aintree, although I think I just need to temper expectations as well… I don’t know whether people think I’m going to be replacing AP (McCoy) or Ruby (Walsh) or Alice (Plunkett) or whoever it may be – absolutely not. I’m going to let them do the talking and the analysis as usual.

“I’m there to get the passion of the Grand National across – being with the spectators, being in the Social Stable and having a lot of fun.

"Because, ultimately, the majority of the people at the racecourse and those tuning in for the Grand National Festival, they’re horse racing fans but they’re not the hardcore as such. They’ll be betting on their lucky number, favourite colour or the names or whatever it may be.

"And I think it’s important, whatever the sport, that these people are embraced because they are ultimately the bedrock of spectators and what the sport is about.”

Referring to how her role came about and what to expect in a couple of weeks' time, Quek hopes her love for the sport and her home city will shine through.

She said: "I had been speaking and having meetings with ITV and on the back of Strictly they were keen to get me involved, but I think it just came from a general discussion around my passion for sport. And obviously one of those sports I do have a passion for is horse racing.

“Throughout the Grand National Festival – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – we’re going to be in amongst the crowd as he (Bell) usually does, showing all the fun and the special things that make the Grand National the spectacle that it is.

“I think obviously the history of it [is special], but as a city Liverpool - and Liverpool people - just loves embracing and welcoming people of different backgrounds, from sport of whatever it may be. And we love it when the spotlight is on us and we love to put on a show.

“So for that three days, we know the worlds is watching and I think they’ve used that strapline many times. We are so proud of our city and ultimately there are some top-quality horses, top-quality races and the Grand National itself, I think it’s that one sporting moment where a lot of the world watch that one race. If they’re going to put that one bet on then it’s in the Grand National and on the radio it’s the one horse race you might just turn up a little bity louder.

“It’s going to be epic. I’ve been many times and being a racing enthusiast – owning horses and now breeding horses – it makes it all that bit more special."

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