Carson won 700 races in the five seasons that Mike was his agent and on Northumberland Plate day at Newcastle in 1990, rode six winners in the seven-race card. He also enjoyed his best-ever season that year - 187.

When Mike started focusing on racecourse commentating in 1993, it was a parting of the ways with Willie whose retirement was just around the corner. The first call for Mike came at Fontwell Park when clerk of the course Cliff Griggs welcomed him to the track with the advice of "don't f*** it up!"

Mike presenting for The Racing Channel in 1995.

Mike began presenting in front of the camera for the first time in 1995 with the launch of The Racing Channel under the guidance of George Irvine at SIS. He joined the Channel 4 Racing team in 1999 after being approached by Andrew Franklin, the executive producer and soon became a regular presenter and pundit on The Morning Line as well as presenting, paddock or race commentating during the afternoon shows.

When the Racing Channel stopped broadcasting, Attheraces was formed with Channel 4 backing the channel. Mike was asked to launch the channel with its first broadcast in 2003 and was then a regular presenter of Lunchtime Attheraces, a half-hour programme which featured one race and a celebrity guest in the studio.

Mike in the At The Races studio in 2010.

The first Attheraces was wound up when flaws in the business plan became apparent and this led to the relaunch of "At The Races" with the support of Sky. At The Races continues to thrive commercially and critically and at the Digital Channel Awards was named the "Best Specialist Channel" in 2006 and then the "Best Sports Service" in 2008.

After being beaten by just one vote by Clare Balding in the poll among the Horseracewriters and Photographers Association for the Broadcaster of the Year, Mike topped the poll to win the coveted award the following year in 2006.

From 2010, Mike has been appointed as the lead co-presenter for Channel 4 Racing's Flat coverage...a role who he is looking forward to very much working alongside Emma Spencer.

Mike with Emma Spencer, the presenting duo for Channel 4 Racing on the flat.