Time to hang up the binoculars

DamienWyer · March 28

Flanders said:
The thing about Richie that pizzes me right off is when he says how far the field is from 1st to last... he'll say "must be 15 from the leader".
When I hear this I look and there'd be about 8 lengths 1st to last.
Anyone listening would think that is 15 lengths. Almost time to tear up your ticket stuff if your nag is at the rear, but in fact it isn't anything close to what it is.
Is it a trot thing? Either way Richie, can you fix that?

Why do race callers want to talk about the horse that tails the field before going back to the leaders ? Sometimes they have gone 150M even 200M before the front of the race is identified. I have seen countless times, horses jumping second or third on the outside, gain the lead and it is not even noted in the call because there is such a focus on something simply being the last of the pack. Not tailed off just towards the rear and it's not like it is an odd's on favourite running upside down, it's just the nature of a race that something has to be last.

Bomber1 · March 28

Spot on sometimes in a sprint race they don't get back to the leading horses till near the straight, also if R.B hasn't got it now I don't think he's going to get better he needs to call the horses correctly rather than worrying about who is sitting on.

warrenrobinson · March 28

All race callers should listen to Matt Hill, he's the best Australia wide if not the world, just calls the race without the ****.

Flanders · March 28

warrenrobinson said:
All race callers should listen to Matt Hill, he's the best Australia wide if not the world, just calls the race without the ****.

Goes alright in the AFL too.

Vincent_vega · March 28

Flanders said:
The thing about Richie that pizzes me right off is when he says how far the field is from 1st to last... he'll say "must be 15 from the leader".
When I hear this I look and there'd be about 8 lengths 1st to last.
Anyone listening would think that is 15 lengths. Almost time to tear up your ticket stuff if your nag is at the rear, but in fact it isn't anything close to what it is.
Is it a trot thing? Either way Richie, can you fix that?

My two pet peeves:

1 - if a horse gets to the front after 20 m he always says “will be hard to best beat from here” always kills the call of the race
2 - somehow everyone seems to know what horses he is on.

Muldoon · March 28

thefalcon said:
ok goosey, name another caller that is up to saturday sandards. there ain't one....

You never know until someone else gets a go, it seems to have been a closed shop for a longtime. Craig Evans & Steve Levar (who i rated highly) had to leave the state/country to get a gig.

You say standards, my opinion of standard is not making regular mistakes, getting the placegetters to 4th correct over the line 8/9 out of 10 times on a race day.

loose_goose · March 28

warrenrobinson said:
All race callers should listen to Matt Hill, he's the best Australia wide if not the world, just calls the race without the ****.

Great race caller. Awhile back someone did an interview with him in his car on the way to the races, was a great chat, very down to earth, the regular stop at Macca's on the way each time, probably does not help his figure :)

SLIPPERGOLDEN · March 28

He is the best for certain. I mentioned previously a great interview on racing.com on Foxtel on the show Tuesdays With Terry Catch it if you haven't.

Not related but this is worth viewing from Wolfden

SLIPPERGOLDEN · March 28

Mat usually appears as a tipster on Get On Extra on Foxtel

Not really into footy but friends and nephews rate his footy calls very highly

SLIPPERGOLDEN · March 28

Any race caller newcomers on the horizon?

I can't speak for today but at one time many years ago I had an interest and did a bit of on course self training myself but the main callers back then had no interest in encouraging newcomers. Put me right off certain local race callers. Before Daz Mac time

loose_goose · March 29

SLIPPERGOLDEN said:
Any race caller newcomers on the horizon?

I can't speak for today but at one time many years ago I had an interest and did a bit of on course self training myself but the main callers back then had no interest in encouraging newcomers. Put me right off certain local race callers. Before Daz Mac time

That's interesting Slip, prey tell what era, wonder who you could mean. I am taking short odds not this caller, years ago, when doing a stint in the North, Max Simmons always up for the Cup, one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet.

SLIPPERGOLDEN · March 29

No not Max. Unfortunately I never met him but he was a terrific caller.

My stint was brief in my early teens. Many other distractions halted my interest and I doubt I would have made the grade. Maybe in the USA :D

I recall 6PR's Millsie called a couple of trot meetings approx 1980

Falcon how did your father get established as a racecaller?

I appreciate the skill and think we are fortunate to have talented callers in all codes throughout Australia

thefalcon · March 30

how did dad get the gig?

before the war dad worked for Nicholsons, the big music store on barrack street. when he got back in 1945 he returned to the store. at that time 6PR had opened up on the 1st floor, it got the licence to broadcast the races.

dad was on the spot and he got the gig. he used to talk about how nervous he was for the first few weeks.

at his peak i was at school and teachers were all..."did your dad mention any tips".

SLIPPERGOLDEN · March 30

Right place right time is a great thing but did he pre-train for it if he was ever to get the opportunity?

thefalcon · March 31

i think he spent a few weeks with the course announce, keith gollan. just doing practice calls outside his box.

recently came across ernie mannings obit in the daily news...his last words were (fair dinkum) "what won the cup". he died kal.cup eve.

JayJay · March 31

Nice story Falc. Our neighbor when we were young was "Uncle" Doug Gilmour. (We had loads of unofficial "Uncles and Aunties").

We used to ask him the same thing, along with "Is Philock" a real person coz he is a good tipster?

Men of the turf overflowing with honour, those blokes.

Bought my first "record" from Nicholsons for 5 bob, a single...."Apache" by the Shadows. Still got it, on the Columbia label.

Somewhere, I have a recording of "Uncle" Doug calling Nanna Tales win in the Queens Cup with Tiger Moore on board.

thefalcon · April 1

yes JayJay, i have a tape of dad calling Raconteurs win of the 1952 (i think) perth cup. i must dig it out and have another listen.

dads best mate was eddie spencer, the trainer. we used to go to the stables regularly on a sunday morning, there is a photo somewhere of me on the horses back. as a stallion he was very docile & boy, did he sire some goodies.

"uncle" hughie jamieson had a ripper rac'n'ruin, won in vic. with Treeny on board.

ah the good old days.....

JayJay · April 1

Ah Yes, but be careful reminiscing about "the good old days". There are a number of correspondents on this site that believe that anyone over 70 has nothing to offer, no opinion, have lost all their faculties and should be incarcerated in a home for the partially bewildered.

The truth is that the industry is a shadow of its past, we were very fortunate to be involved in the days of sound administration, real handicapping and transparent decision making by those who put the interests of the industry in front of self interest. The "pie chuckers" have absolutely zero idea of what it was like and want us to forget what it was like. It irritates them greatly that we recall good times.

I recall both Hugh Jamieson and Rack N Ruin, along with Tudor Mak, the wonderful Gilt Pattern and Catch A Count, a very good trainer. Think his brother was opposition leader Colin Jamieson, also a very decent bloke.

warrenrobinson · April 1

Richard Bell talk about incompetent Tige Lou has had a sex change now a gelding.

Yarracoola · April 1

D. Mac been an excellent caller over the Years. Lately been making a few mistakes.

Last Saturday Rock Magic Stakes called Baby Paris Last she ran 5th Beaten 2.1 lengths the Horse that ran Last was Beaten 6.2 lengths.

My suggestion put another TV Monitor in Broadcasting Box that has a Freeze frame once they hit the Finish Line so he has a chance to get finishing order correct i know margins might be a Problem from 1st to last to what they can fit onto Screen??

bookielover · April 4

Personally, I don't care which race caller it is, there are a number of things which they do, or more importantly do not do, which irritate me.

1.Concentrating on a horse which is 4 in front with 50 metres to go, is clearly going to win, yet the race caller deems it necessary to wax lyrical about it. This is going to win easily, this has given them a galloping lesson. It's day light to the rest. It has got a half brother/sister coming up at the sales. And so on and so forth.

2.Being so engrossed with the winner, that they totally neglect the place getters. Unfortunately, most callers have forgotten about quinella's, trifectas, first fours, duets etc. and the hundreds of thousands of dollars that we punters invest in those forms of betting.

3. Not ,as Bill Collins once told me, calling a race as if they are doing it for a blind man. Today's callers assume, incorrectly, that everyone is watching the race on TV, and that even if they are, are fully aware of the colours the jockey is wearing on the horse they backed. Firstly, many punters, for whatever reason, still listen to a race, I do when driving, and secondly, even when watching, the colours can be hard to pick up, or be confusing.

4. The word length has almost disappeared from our race callers vocabulary. It's no good, especially if having to listen to, rather than watch a race, the caller saying nothing other than "followed by". How about telling us, that Phar Lap is a length in front of Carbine, who is two in front of Winx, etc. "followed by" is meaningless, if you want to know how far your horse is from the leader, or each horse racing in front of yours.

5. The inability of trot callers to go through a field, informing listeners and sometimes even viewers who are not aware of the drivers colours, exactly where the horses are positioned. In a 10 horse field, for example, you usually get told, the leader, the horse in the death, the horse behind the leader, the horse one out and one back. If you are lucky, you will get, the horse two back along the fence, and the one two back on the outside. You can forget about the position of the last four horses. If you are watching, you can probably work out which one is yours, by looking at the saddlecloth numbers. If you are listening, you will have no idea, if yours is running second last or last, along the fence, so very little chance of winning, or in the running line, with still a chance of winning. They all do it.

6. The fact that very few of them, other than Darren Flindell, who always does, Matt Hill and Darren Mac, who will do it from time to time, describe to you, how a horse is going in the run. I have lost count of the number of races I have watched, where a horse is pulling hard, yet the caller completely ignores it. Again, the viewer can see it, the listener can't.

In my opinion, the two worst in the country by a long way, are Col Hodges, who's been calling for 60 years, and never got better, and Anthony Hudson around 40 and should know better, and who calls at Moruya, Sapphire Coast, Canberra and Nowra, yet the word length, plus how a horse is going in the run, are never part of his calls.

Don't get me wrong. I can't call a race, and neither can thousands of others, and I understand how difficult it is. I also can't operate on a patient because I'm not a Doctor, nor can I give legal advice, because I'm not a lawyer. However, none of that means, that any of those aforementioned professions and those who practice them, are immune from criticism, by us.

We all get paid, or if retired, have been paid, to do whatever job we have/had, or whatever profession in which we are/were engaged, to the best of our abilities. Some of us were/are better than others. Some of us didn't/don't stand up to scrutiny, and ultimately we pay the price for that and are terminated.

While I reckon I was spoilt by Bill Collins and Bert Bryant's calls, I have always enjoyed DMac's calls, as I did Stuart Shenton's before him. I don't think that any of today's callers are as good as Bill or Bert, and that includes Matt Hill. That's just my opinion.

The fact is, the callers, and most are very well paid, although that should be a secondary consideration, have one job to do. Give us as accurate a call as possible. Where is my horse in the run, how is it travelling. How far from the leader is it. When they cross the line, just concentrate on the finishing order, and after you have done that, you can cr@p on as long as you like about how good the winner was etc.

Ultimately, we punters pay your salary. We deserve your very best efforts every time you stand behind that microphone.

Rodent · April 4

DMac has an awesome voice. It carries him a long way.

Not a racecaller but a presenter, I just can't listen to her. I'm sure she's a lovely person but how can someone so inarticulate get a job as a tv presenter?

SLIPPERGOLDEN · April 4

Which female presenter? A few to choose from.

Ryan 'Avon Calling' Bell has lost me for good tonight after bumming up L.Harper after a win (must have been on it) and relating to his great history as a driver. Really? How about overall? You must be leaving out a fair bit. That was a clanger..Bell

SLIPPERGOLDEN · April 4

While on Trots why are a few drivers now wearing masks? Not covid. Not Carnarvon like dirt in their face.

I mentioned years ago that TV coverage shouldn't show home straight shots as nobody there on the grassed area and grandstands in the dark. There were plenty more when I attended the trot trials on Tuesday nights a while back.

Voodoo · April 4

Scotchmans Hill Saturday nights had more public than the whole track these days, Was there the night No Dill I think it was, went past Mount Eden going into the back straight. The whole crowd erupted into a roar, only to see the champ dig in and blow them away in the straight.

savethegame · April 5

When Mount Eden went to Sydney for the Derby 1970. Friday night Betting shops didn't open.
How huge was his following Friday's when betting shops never opened.
Betting shops across the state were given special permission to open for a couple hours, at Geraldton, Bunbury, Northam, Kalgoorlie, and one in the City. -- Mount Eden, pulled up lame after his trial on the Tuesday in Sydney, was scratched.

Markovina · April 5

Matt Hill , yes he calls the races nicely , i sung his praises a couple of years ago how he called a Melb Cup , 1st class

However he has got a weakness , hes like a top order batsmen , a bit suspect to the rising ball on about off stump

And that is he is no good in photos ive noticed it a bit with him , like that Victoria Handcap just run at Caulfield , he called it brilliantly he could see the thing screaming through the pack , but to call it 2nd when it clearly won , totally wrecked the call

That wasnt a hard photo finish for any top race caller to pick and he botched it

Apparently he is a nice bloke tho and that counts for alot on this forum

Panda would have picked that photo correctly with an eye patch covering 1 of his eyes

Muldoon · April 9

Please correct me if I heard wrong, but did Dialling not get called in that tight finish at Pinjarra, and was the winner ?

Rodent · April 9

Muldoon said:
Please correct me if I heard wrong, but did Dialling not get called in that tight finish at Pinjarra, and was the winner ?

He called it but you'd have thought it might have missed a place if listening on radio. Nothing wrong but not a "good" call.

Vincent_vega · April 9

Agreed, i was listening on the radio and you would have thought it was between the other two even though he did call Dialling a few times

G'day Punter!

In this Discussion

Who's Online

Time to hang up the binoculars

Comments