The Dick Francis Thriller: The Racing Game (1979– )

The cases of a disabled jockey turned private detective specializing in investigations involving horse racing.

Stars:

Mike Gwilym, Mick Ford, James Maxwell

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Mike Gwilym	...	Sid Halley (6 episodes, 1979-1980)
Mick Ford	...	Chico Barnes (5 episodes, 1979)

Storyline

Sid Halley, a champion jump jockey, had his hand and his career destroyed by a fall in a race, when a horse stepped on his hand. His ex-wife's father pulls him out of his depression by asking him to investigate some fishy deaths at Seabury race course, and the possibility that someone's planning a takeover. Sid, together with his friend, judo expert and ex-thug, Chico Barnes, start poking about and their success in the Seabury case lead to other race course cases: possible fixed races, shady insurance claims, betting scams, and a kidnaped stud. Six one-hour episodes: Odds Against, Trackdown, Gambling Lady, Horses for Courses, Horsenap, and Needle.

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Plot Keywords:

horse | detective | based on novel

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Genres:

Mystery

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Högt spel - strama tyglar

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yorkshire Television (YTV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

309 min 60 min (6 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Not Very Memorable

The one reason I remember this is that it was shown the week after Nigel Kneale`s brilliant QUATERMASS serial was broadcast . The trailers made heavy emphasis that the main character had a mutilated arm which had me hoping he`d be like Victor Caroon from THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT stalking the streets of London .

No such luck because THE RACING GAME is just a rather drab thriller with the gimmick of having a hero with a physical disability trying to get to the bottom of investigations of corrupt horse racing . I suppose if you`re a fan of Dick Francis you might enjoy it but setting it in the context of the late 70s when THE SWEENEY had just finished and THE PROFESSIONALS was still being produced , there`s something lacking about THE RACING GAME . One trailer featured a car over taking another on a motor way , if it`d been a trailer for THE SWEENEY you`d see Jack Regan over taking a car and beating a confession out of the slags who`d done a blag while THE PROFESSIONALS would have over taken a car and blown away the terrorists inside . I think that sums up what`s wrong with this series