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Des Scahill & that other Irish commentator bloke

Home Forums Horse Racing Des Scahill & that other Irish commentator bloke

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  • #24995
    Avatar photobetlarge
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    • Total Posts 2804

    "As they make their way down the far side, and head towards the turn to take the fence before the entrance to the home straight it’s Horse A, two lengths back to Horse B and a length then to Horse C…"

    Please stop. :(

    Mike

    #456501
    Avatar photothehorsesmouth
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    • Total Posts 5578

    Richard Pugh is far better than those two imo, surprised he doesn’t get the bigger meetings. Commentates at Down Royal.

    #456502
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    Richard Pugh is far better than those two imo, surprised he doesn’t get the bigger meetings. Commentates at Down Royal.

    Well funnily enough I started a very similar thread to this a couple of years ago when he was mentioned favourably. It was thought at the time that Des Scahill was on the verge of retirement. Oh well.

    Who

    is

    the other Scahill-like commentator (he’s commentating today at one of the two meetings, forgotten which)?

    Mike

    #456503
    moehat
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    • Total Posts 9140

    You mean, it’s not Des? I need to tune back in again. At least when I’ve got the racing on in the background I know I’m listening to an Irish race when I hear Des’s dulcet tones. is it ‘Son of Des’?

    #456505
    Avatar photothehorsesmouth
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    • Total Posts 5578

    Not sure but could be Gerry Hannon. Very Scahill-like indeed!

    What I don’t like about Scahill is the amount of times he starts winding down the commentary when a horse is a few lengths clear, only for something to stay on and force a ‘head bobber’. :roll:

    #456506
    Avatar photobetlarge
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    You mean, it’s not Des? I need to tune back in again. At least when I’ve got the racing on in the background I know I’m listening to an Irish race when I hear Des’s dulcet tones. is it ‘Son of Des’?

    It’s the bloke at Naas. Unless that’s Des as well!

    Mike

    #456508
    Avatar photobetlarge
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    It’s Peter O’Hehir. Nepo-tastic.

    Mike

    #456534
    Avatar photoMarkTT
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    • Total Posts 2924

    One of my main criticisms of Des is the lack of depth to the commentaries. Nothing about colours, the horses…anything.

    the antithesis of Richard Hoyles, who will tell you if a jockey has adjusted his sleeve.

    #456538
    Avatar photookjoe57
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    • Total Posts 189

    I gave up on Irish racing this year. The dry commentaries ruin it, sadly

    #456542
    andyod
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    • Total Posts 4012

    Sad indeed every commentary the same;little about horse or rider, just the course description entering the straight coming to a bend ,leaving the back straight, heading up the hill,coming down the hill, entering the final bend, a furlong to go and the winner is ,its a head bobber, another for the champion,Joseph.Just once in every race he reads the field but that is it.Now I go and pick up my sinecure salary

    #456550
    moehat
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    • Total Posts 9140

    There’s something strangely comforting about it though [although I suppose it is meant to be exciting].

    #456551
    Avatar photoMatron
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    • Total Posts 6784

    "the antithesis of Richard Hoyles, who will tell you if a jockey has adjusted his sleeve."

    Hoyles, is really good – especially of you are an "in-running-player" – my, number-one commentator!

    #456582
    andyod
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    • Total Posts 4012

    Moehat like a warm piss on a cold night.But is it really comfort?

    #456597
    Avatar photoMarkTT
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    • Total Posts 2924

    "the antithesis of Richard Hoyles, who will tell you if a jockey has adjusted his sleeve."

    Hoyles, is really good – especially of you are an "in-running-player" – my, number-one commentator!

    I don’t know…he can sound concerned about a rider niggling a horse along when it’s nothing at all.

    Holt is still the best.

    I backed Khyber Kim on it’s debut for Henderson. Mike Cattermole mistook it for a 150-1 outsider all the way up the home straight until about 100 yards from the line where he paused and said " …and Khyber Kim wins for Nicky Henderson ".

    #456620
    eddie case
    Member
    • Total Posts 1214

    "

    Hoyles, is really good – especially of you are an "in-running-player" – my, number-one commentator!

    How does that work, if everyone can hear it? Hoiles not Hoyles shirley?

    Although Dessie is pretty poor, regularly missing fallers think Peter O’Hehir is quite good, very accurate and thankfully no puns.

    #456632
    Avatar photoMarkTT
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    • Total Posts 2924

    Yeah, apologies ( especially to Richard ! ). Hoiles.

    I think he’s an excellent commentator and he and Simon are a class above the rest…just that " Languid " shades it for me.

    I know my racing colours but the general public do not and i think this should be first on the check list during a race – identify the horses for the viewers. This is one aspect where Richard is brilliant. I realise it’s easier in NH racing when there are two circuits to race than it is a 6 furlong sprint.

    I’d be interested to know why there aren’t onscreen " signifiers " on terrestrial tv. Is it that producers think they make the screen appear cluttered ? Is it due to costs ?

    A taskbar at the bottom of the screen that could be activated by a button on the remote would be ideal. Number and silks, or maybe the first four horses named. Surely that’s possible with todays technology.

    Speaking of commentators –

    Surely it’s not right that bookmaker commentators can describe virtual races as if they were real ? " And Lucy Verysmarmy is coming through under a power packed drive to win it " is just ridiculous.

    By the way, that’s really a name for a virtual horse. I heard it the other day. I had to check the screen as i couldn’t believe it.

    #456656
    Avatar photograysonscolumn
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    Richard Pugh is excellent, and it’s just a shame his Rules remit doesn’t extend beyond the Northern Irish tracks all that often.

    That may be by design, owing to other commitments such as his work in Irish Points, but others can confirm.

    gc

    Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.

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