Vanessa Binnie Ryle had many connections to media through her parents and to the “horsey side” through her mother, Sallie, who competed in showjumping at a high level for Harvey Smith. She has spoken about having dyslexia at school, saying it hadn’t made her good at reading and writing, but she was good at talking.

She fell in love with racing watching Channel 4 Racing on Saturdays as a teenager and knew a career in the  industry was what she wanted, eventually landing an internship at At The Races (now Sky Sports Racing) after several work placements.

Her mother helped organise early work experience, including a week at the Racing Post and a blog she sent to a contact At The Races. This led to a meeting with then-chief executive Matthew Imi, who offered her a low-level-expenses-paid work placement despite her having no formal qualifications or racing yard experience.

She remains at Sky Sports Racing today as a Reporter, Features Producer and Presenter, alongside Alex Hammond, Gina Bryce, Matt Chapman, Luke Harvey, and others. Beyond her main presenting and punditry role, she hosts the weekly horse racing podcasts “Weighed In” and “Racing Only Bettor,” and has also worked as a racing commentator for ITV.