On of my favourite horse racing people. In fact, I’ve travelled on the same train a him a couple of times from Norwich to Great Yarmouth. On another occasion I was chatting to Phil Cunningham and only remembered his name after bidding him farewell. There’s always time for a good chat on the Bittern Line.
It’s interesting to consider how many horse racing pundits have a background as professional gamblers. The likes of Dave Nevison and Steve Mellish spring to mind. Interestingly, Nevison and Fremantle crossed paths many times on course when gambling and the latter was instrumental in Nevison’s success betting on more than one horse in the field, with regarding to finding value by making their own tissue.
Like many horse racing fans, Fremantle’s interest in horse racing grew as a child. He enjoyed his horse racing as a teenager. In fact, his earliest horse racing memory heralds back to 1973 when he wagered Balliol to win the King’s Stand Stakes.
Fate often plays its part in life. Fremantle got his first opportunity within the racing industry while bumping into Ian Davies on a train journey back from Ludlow. He was the deputy editor of Racing & Football Outlook (who later became editor and gave Fremantle a job). This chance encounter led to his first journalist post as a sports tipster. It helped establish him within the racing world as a sharp and talented tipster.
Other opportunities would soon beacon including being ‘The Man on the Spot’ for The Sporting Life, which later merged with the Racing Post in the late 1990s.
He turned full-time professional gambler for eight years, but later combined work as a racing journalist (analysis, pundit and correspondent) which saw him take a position with The Observer as racing correspondent. As far as I’m aware, he still is a professional gambler.
For most viewers, Fremantle become a familiar face if not household name working for Racing UK, which later changed its name to Racing TV, a subscription service. He is often seen working with respected presenter Lydia Hislop, as the analyst. His laid back approach and knowledgable outlook make him a highly respected member of the channel and with the wider public. He doesn’t shy away from detailing some big-priced fancies which often go well. He doesn’t remind me of a favourites man.
Eddie Fremantle’s horse racing commentary provides him with the luxury of earning from both being a journalist as well as a professional gambler. This insight means he can offer real wisdom from both a horse racing and gambling perspective. You can find him on X (formerly known as Twitter) and he takes an interest in horse racing, football and occasionally cricket.
In my opinion, he is one of the better communicators. He comes across as a very straightforward person with a good sense of humour and makes time for people.
You may well see him at the races.