Rishi Persad - Biography & Images
Rishi Persad is a presenter of ITV’s horse racing coverage
Rishi began his broadcasting career in May 2002 when attheraces was first launched. This was followed by a move to Racing UK where he introduced their first show in May 2004 from Kempton Park Racecourse and has continued to work for Racing UK since that time.
Rishi’s debut terrestrial appearance was for Channel 4 Racing at Haydock Park in January 2003 which saw him join the channel’s award winning coverage of that year’s Cheltenham Festival before being recruited by BBC Sport in the spring of 2003.
Since then, Rishi has worked at some of the greatest sporting events in the world including the Olympic Games in Athens, Beijing and London, the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010, the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean and the sub-continent in 2011, Wimbledon Tennis Championships for the past decade and recently joined the BBC’s golf team covering the Ryder Cup at Medinah in 2012, the US Masters at Augusta and The Open at Muirfield this past year.
Horse racing remains closest to his heart where Rishi has been fortunate enough to cover many of the major international racing events including the Breeders Cup at Arlington in 2002 and Santa Anita in 2003, Hong Kong International Meeting in 2004, The Dubai World for the past 12 years, The Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe, The Grand National, Cheltenham Festival, Derby Festival, Royal Ascot and QIPCO British Champions Day.
Rishi’s family bred and raced thoroughbreds in the West Indies and that is where his interest for the sport began. This was fostered by his father who encouraged Rishi to spend more time studying form and pedigree than anything academic!
Rishi lives in Surrey with his partner Holly and daughter Evie.
