Memorable racing commentary

[Scribe2]

Everyone always harks back to Bill Collins and the 1986 Cox Plate but Bruce also did that race for Channel 10 and his call was a cracker. "The greatest race I've ever seen" he yelled and it sounded like he was going to cry.

Wayne Wilson calling Chief De Beers' 2nd Doomben 10000 was one of his decent ones. He used to love the Chief did Wayne and when he got up Wilson's given us the "Chief De Beers, You Beauty!"

My biggest ever win was on Ha Ha in the Golden Slipper of 2001. Ian Craig was very pumped up and has called Ha Ha the winner about 350 from home. He almost started to yoddle saying "ha, ha, ha ha, ha, ha" and just ignored all the other horses. The previous year, Belle De Jiour won after missing the kick by about 5 lengths and Ian's given us "I'm so speechless I can't even give you the tote prices. Oh Dear John Singleton has just wrestled Bob Hawke to the ground. Ladies and gentleman, I have seen it all"

Another great one was Johhny Tapp in the Cox Plate of 97 (why was Johhny Tapp calling a Cox???). Anyway Dane Ripper's won at about 35 to 1 and Tappy's let fly with the "And Dane Ripper, THE BOLTER, THE DESPISED OUTSIDER!!"

Any others?

 

[Alphonse]

My favourite calls are always in non descript races, most involving Ian Craig, Wayne Wilson or Alan Thomas.

A few months back Michael Cahill was dislodged on the winning post, rather than call the winner Alan Thomas gave a run down of what occurred "Look at Cahilly, he has been dislodged, he somehow keeps hold of the horse by the bridle and using his foot as a brake he pulls the horse up, that is amazing, Michael Cahill..... you are a horseman and a half". I still dont know who won that race.

I love it when Wayne Wilson gets a call right before they jump, he just cracks it at them "I don't have time for a call like that a minute before the race" but my all time favourite was when his wife rang him "broadcast.......honey I would love an ice cream but they are at the barriers, can you call back in five.... thanks darling".

Any of Ian's calls involving Aqua Damore going into the barriers are worthwhile also ""will she go in...almost in now...oh no, she's out again...she DOES NOT want to be a race filly todaaaaay". In terms of serious race calls Ian Craig's call of Wild Iris' Oaks win was pretty good "Wild Iris, by 3, 4, look at her, she is sprinting like a Gazelle".

 

[Alphonse]

I also appreciate how the Perth guy, calls horse names, expect for Paul Harvey's rides where he just refers to the horse in the running as "Harvey". Never a mention of the actual horse "and Harvey has box seated", "Harvey is geting to work down the outside".

 

[Scribe2]

Brilliant stuff Alphonse

Probably one the funniest things I have ever seen invloves a racecaller.

It was the 1997 Melb Cup and Might and Power has just done the impossible.


The next race was from Tassie and a man named Peter Gilligan was determined to make his mark. He has screamed out "SET!!" and called the $3,000 Maiden race as though he was calling the cup. He's gone completely and utterly ballistic, screaming and the top of voice. "She's there, she's there, you'd better believe it Baby she's there!". He was incoherent throughout the whole race, making these strange honking noices. To this day, I am certain that he was drunk.

The blokes in the studio couldn't fucntion for about half an hour
I remeber the PubTab I was in was packed top the rafters with ratarsed drunks and Gilligan just stopped them in their tracks! Stunned silence.

Ahh well, you had to be there.

 

[Bartram_Class]

Not really commentary, but Olivers comments right after Media Puzzles win in 2002 when riding back to scale.

 

[Deej]

Few years back a bloke calling a country race, i think it was victoria and it was the days of bill collins, he owned a horse in the race that just kicked to the lead around the turn and it was a 10-1 pop called 'Pugsley'. GO PUGSLEY IT'S PUGSLEY CLEAR OH MY GOD GO BOY GOOOO PUUGGGGSSSLEYYYY YOU BLOODY BEAUTYYYYYY PUGGGSLEYY WOOOO HOO
Me and my mate were in stiches, funniest call i've ever heard, although the tassie fella when he cranks it up is also a good one.

 

[Scribe2]

It's the summer of 2000 and we're in Sorrento, Victoria.

A couple of mates and I are up at the SorrentoTAB collecting some miserable returns from earlier in the day to fund our assault at the Continental Hotel that evening.

It's late, the TAB is closing and the only other people present are none other than Tom Hafey and car man Mark Skaife.

They're racing at Ascot and for some reason all those present have backed the same nag, a first starter called The Golden Hunk which is paying 50+ on the TAB.

So too, it appears has Perth racecaller Darren McCaulley who was his usual smooth self until The Golden Hunk started to wind up . "AND..HERE...COMES...THE..HUNK!" He then completely lost it, doing his Peter Gilligan impersonation as The Golden Hunk just got up.

We all went bananas, even Tommy, who then went home to Maureen to prepare for his 2am swim.

 

[Alphonse]

It's the summer of 2000 and we're in Sorrento, Victoria.

A couple of mates and I are up at the SorrentoTAB collecting some miserable returns from earlier in the day to fund our assault at the Continental Hotel that evening.

It's late, the TAB is closing and the only other people present are none other than Tom Hafey and car man Mark Skaife.

They're racing at Ascot and for some reason all those present have backed the same nag, a first starter called The Golden Hunk which is paying 50+ on the TAB.

So too, it appears has Perth racecaller Darren McCaulley who was his usual smooth self until The Golden Hunk started to wind up . "AND..HERE...COMES...THE..HUNK!" He then completely lost it, doing his Peter Gilligan impersonation as The Golden Hunk just got up.

We all went bananas, even Tommy, who then went home to Maureen to prepare for his 2am swim.

There is something special about Perth races, all the horses are sired by unfashionable sires, Metal Storm and the like but you cant question the quality of the racing (or does it appear that way because race 8 competes with the Chariots for our punting dollar?).

Personally, I prefer Belmont to Ascot and J Whiting to Knuckey but everyone has their preference over there. I have a mate who only backs Greys in the wet in Perth and another who swears by race 1, number 1.

My favourite Perth Horse is Regal Raider, the entire nobs list backed it in Race 8 one day after Mazenod had their way with us in the wet at Waverley. Paid 18 dollars after Dion Luciani found a run that was not there.

 

[Cameo King]

Whilst not much of a fan of Lonhro (he's no champ), Greg Miles call of "CAULFIELD HAS ERUPTED" when he started to run down Sunline in the Caulfield Stakes a few years ago was a beauty.

I've heard about the NOBs boys always nailing the winner of the last at Belmont this footy season. So it is true Alphonse? Were YOU responsible?

 

[BMOC]

One thing I know peoples is that there will be no entries under this subject heading attributed to MARK SHEAN, that pig of a man who calls them in Sydney on TVN.

I was watching one day, and he was calling a race that Le Bron was in (Sire: Le, Dam: Bron. Where else do you get a name like that from???). Anyway, he has declared Le Bron 350m out.. "And Le Bron goes up on the outside, puts paid to the leader and goes into overdrive..a length clear now..." 200m later, the length he called was a neck, the horse on the inside (the leader) has kicked back and won.

Shean went quiet for a bit, read out the tote details, then sent it back to Rich and Ken in the hope they were still talking about punting, drinking and eating too many pies..

LONG LIVE IAN CRAIG.

Cameo, I heard about those NOB Perth sessions. They are now the stuff of legend..

 

[Tim56]

There is something special about Perth races, all the horses are sired by unfashionable sires, Metal Storm and the like but you cant question the quality of the racing (or does it appear that way because race 8 competes with the Chariots for our punting dollar?).

Personally, I prefer Belmont to Ascot and J Whiting to Knuckey but everyone has their preference over there. I have a mate who only backs Greys in the wet in Perth and another who swears by race 1, number 1.

My favourite Perth Horse is Regal Raider, the entire nobs list backed it in Race 8 one day after Mazenod had their way with us in the wet at Waverley. Paid 18 dollars after Dion Luciani found a run that was not there.

WA racing is dodgy. Doesn't mean you shouldn't bet there, just bear that in mind.

I'm a Harvey man out West myself - never back his things each way. Never rides them out to sneak into third, and he is fantastic at getting them over the line in a head bobber.

Secondly, the New Zealand guy, I think his name is Tony Lee. Just goes absolutely ballistic - this is his call of the Mudgway Stakes, which Xcellent won first up in August.

http://www.tabnsw.com.au/audio/files/2005/08/MP3/2708YR09_R_short.mp3

 

[blqld]

Go get some tapes of Burt Bryant calls of G1's. That man could call a race.

 

[snooker]

If your in Fed Square in Melbourne head into Champions: The Australian Racing Museum and Hall Of Fame. They have an audio tour which allows you to listen to famous race calls of the past.

A few chills up the spine there.

 

[Deej]

For northerly fans, greg miles' call of the 2002 cox plate is a must listen. Was featured in sky's promo for a few years until the TVN thing blew up, was the one when he said, 'but northerly is clear, and the fighting tiger northerly does it again.' Just before that as they wheeled round the turn i remember him saying something like 'and the two great champions sunline and northerly come round the turn together'.

They almost made each other those two. What a shame they only raced 3 times.

 

[Oggy's cousin]

Few years back a bloke calling a country race, i think it was victoria and it was the days of bill collins, he owned a horse in the race that just kicked to the lead around the turn and it was a 10-1 pop called 'Pugsley'. GO PUGSLEY IT'S PUGSLEY CLEAR OH MY GOD GO BOY GOOOO PUUGGGGSSSLEYYYY YOU BLOODY BEAUTYYYYYY PUGGGSLEYY WOOOO HOO
Me and my mate were in stiches, funniest call i've ever heard, although the tassie fella when he cranks it up is also a good one.

The NZ caller is also a ripper. I almost drove off the road one Saturday during the middle of footy season this year...it was Xcellent's first run back over 1400m from his abysmal AJC Derby run (another butchering by M Walker - when will they ever learn??). Xcellent spotted the leaders about 12 lengths at the turn but motored down the centre of the track. For the final 300m the commentator screamed out "Xxxxxxxcellent.....xxxxxxxxxxxxcellent......xcccccccccccellent" and practically collapsed in exhaustion afterwards as if he was Peter North on a Spring Break f-fest.

Only weeks before, he called Miss Potential from Barrier to Box (top of the day Brian York) and not one other horse as she waltzed in for another sub par NZ Group 1 win.

But alas, my vote goes to Ian "Never ever ever again, when will we ever learn" Craig. The sooner the monotonous Mark Shean does us a favour and vacates his post and King Ian replaces him the better racing will be

 

[footyman]

The sooner the monotonous Mark Shean does us a favour and vacates his post and King Ian replaces him the better racing will be

Where did they get Mark Shean from? I know he called the Sydney trials but he looks pretty old and I have never heard of him before Sky used to show the Trials and Tribulations.

There must be better around than him. They should bump Mark Harrison up there and you can be stuck with him cos he bores me as well. Or Bryan Martin.

TVN = good, but better with the sound off