McCririck was given the go-ahead to take the case to a final hearing following a pre-hearing review in early June.

A date for that hearing has now been set, with the case pencilled in for seven days at the Central London Employment Tribunal.

In a statement to Press Association Sport, McCririck said: “All I want is my job back.

“Then my £3m age discrimination case would be settled immediately.

“Ever since I was sacked, after 29 years, in a phone call by Channel 4’s sports editor Jamie Aitchison, I have been amazed, yet humbled ,at the support from colleagues, racing pros and, emotionally, the public, both personally and in messages.

“Unfortunately anonymous suits and skirts who control the media, and all business organisations, take pride in not changing their minds.

“Now Channel 4’s David Abraham, Jay Hunt, Aitchison and IMG’S Carl Hicks will be answerable in public, under cross examination from my employment specialist barrister Jennifer Eadie QC.

“I realise taking on powerful entrenched conglomerates will be a daunting ordeal, but this could be a landmark tribunal for implementing a crucial part of the Equality Act 2010.

“Millions of employees in their 30s to their 70s with their ability unimpaired dread being replaced by someone of lesser or even equal merit just because of their age.

“A punitive exemplary financial penalty against Channel 4 and IMG would ensure that never again any employer dare use age as justification for arbitrarily destroying working lives.”