Clare Balding and Nick Luck will head Channel 4's new-look racing coverage from next year, while John McCririck, Derek Thompson, John Francome, Mike Cattermole and Racing Post writer Alastair Down will no longer feature.

Graham Cunningham, a regular on Racing UK, and At The Races presenter Gina Bryce have been added to the team, which will also include Rishi Persad, Alice Plunkett, Emma Spencer, Jim McGrath, Tanya Stevenson and Mick Fitzgerald along with commentators Simon Holt and Richard Hoiles.

Channel 4 outbid the BBC earlier this year for exclusive broadcasting rights to British racing for the next four years from January 1, 2013, while IMG Sports Media was chosen to replace C4's previous production partner Highflyer for the new contract.

Since then, the make-up of the C4 racing team has been a hot topic with the recruitment of Balding, who had been main anchor for the BBC coverage, the only news on the presenting line-up that had already been revealed.

Familiar faces such as Alastair Down and Mike Cattermole, who have co-hosted the bulk of the jumps season and Flat season respectively for the past two years, have been dropped to make way for fresh faces.

Luck will also continue as the main presenter of Channel 4's Morning Line programme, with Plunkett acting as an alternative presenter when required.

Jamie Aitchison, Channel 4's sports editor, said: "Being the new home of horseracing is a real privilege and I'm delighted to announce this carefully selected team of presenters and reporters. I'm hugely excited about the future of racing on Channel 4 and greatly look forward to 2013.

"I would like to thank all of the presenting team for their commitment and enthusiasm to Channel 4 and the racing coverage over the years."