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Best Horse Racing Commentator

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  • #4863
    steveh31
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1927

    As Dave Smith, Jim McGrath & Simon Holt have been getting some stick lately time to see who you think is the best commentator current in the UK.

    (please note there are a limited number of options so sorry if yours is not in the list had to remove a few)

    #111412
    bluechariot
    Participant
    • Total Posts 610

    I thought this poll was done earlier in the year. How anyone can vote for GG is beyond me

    #111414
    steveh31
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1927

    sorry if this poll has already been done but its too late now.Anyway lets see if trhe opinions has changed with the comments of last week. I agree about GG his voice is so monotone no emotion mind you I find Simon holts voice very dull as well, I think the best new voice is Alan Howes a voice of the future

    #111435
    Habat
    Member
    • Total Posts 7

    My vote goes to ‘Other’ – John Hunt, though I actually think there is very little between Hunt and Hoiles ,both accurate,informative and with excellent highly ‘listenable’ voices. Simon Holt I would rate as not far behind them but the 3H’s are very much the Premier League of commentators IMHO.

    I recall John Hunt’s commentary on the Becher Chase at Aintree the year Clan Royal won the race. The sun was very low and made viewing from the commentary position very difficult.Hunt actually mentioned Clan Royal as a possible faller on a couple of occasions.Those lapses in accuracy were memorable enough because they were so rare but what really sticks in my mind is that before the next race John Hunt announced that he had reviewed the tape of the Becher Chase and wished to apologise for his mistakes. I think that showed a lot of class.

    I don’t recall GG or Aussie Jim ever apologising for their sadly increasingly common errors.

    Richard Hoiles is exceptional in that as well as being one of the top two or three commentators in the country he is also one of the best presenters and ‘expert summarisers’.In addition to this ,when he is anchoring RUK from the studio his incisive comments viz exchange movements and the advisability or otherwise of taking a Board price are invariably spot on.

    I did actually go to school with ‘Dickie’ Hoiles – but I haven’t spoken to the bloke for 23 years so I trust I will not be accused of bias lol.

    #111439
    Avatar photoBurroughhill
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1635

    Out of the list you’ve got there, I’ve gone for Richard Hoiles, as I did last time we did this. He’s got the clearest voice and doesn’t usually miss a thing that’s going on.
    There’s a few you’ve missed off, notably Lee McKenzie who’s come on a lot recently :wink:

    #111440
    steveh31
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1927

    I did put John Hun and Lee McKenzie id originally but the system limits the number of choices you can have.

    #111448
    the welsh wizard
    Member
    • Total Posts 352

    I think the best new voice is Alan Howes a voice of the future

    LMFAO – I worked with Alan at SIS – his nickname is "the future" because he has been the future for about 7 years now :lol:

    #111450
    Avatar photoJames_Richardson
    Member
    • Total Posts 18

    Another vote for the Hoiles Meister I’m afraid.

    Annunciation of voice, clarity and accuracy would all be reasons as to why ‘Dickie’ would rank above the others

    J

    #111452
    clivex
    Member
    • Total Posts 3420

    Oddly enough, i think its the one thing Thommo does quite well, but i tend to find that i dont really listen to commentators that much

    McGrath does seem lose it sometimes and Holt can get a bit shouty (and sounds awful when he does)

    I would like to see Norman Collier give it a go … :)

    #111456
    Avatar photoHimself
    Participant
    • Total Posts 3777

    Jim McGrath.

    Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning

    #111460
    Mully
    Member
    • Total Posts 156

    I like Simon Holt and John Hunt . Hoiles gets on my nerves.

    #111471
    ripkord70
    Member
    • Total Posts 4

    Graham Goode and Tommo are the absolute worst. They keep saying "…and don’t rule out XXX" when it is clear those horses are merely plugging on and never gonna win.

    Machin and McGrath keep saying "…XXX has this shot to pieces…" What’s that all about?

    I agree with another poster above – John Hunt is very good. Hoiles is ok too. I voted for Holt but not too much to criticise these three on.

    #111501
    GhostofTheFellow
    Member
    • Total Posts 410

    Hoiles-hes the daddy perticularly over Jumps top drawer

    #111529
    Avatar photoBurroughhill
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1635

    It’s funny Richard Hoiles is way out in front this time; last time Simon Holt had the lead throughout.

    #111580
    steveh31
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1927

    Ian Barlett commentating at Doncaster today ususally Mark Johnson has he been dropped from the gig?

    Tony Ennis is going to be a racecourse commentator wonder if he will give up ATR?

    #111590
    Avatar photograysonscolumn
    Participant
    • Total Posts 6966

    Tony Ennis is going to be a racecourse commentator wonder if he will give up ATR?

    No particular reason for him to give up on ATR yet, if at all. I’m not aware of the full story, but if, say, he is a new addition to the Racetech roster, I would have thought he would only have been given 20 or so meetings for next year, which is about the normal allocation for a rookie. If all goes to plan, it’ll be doubled the following year.

    The maximum figure is in the 80-90 mark. Even that still leaves a hell of a lot of days left over for non-Racetech commitments (ATR or otherwise) – other maximum-allocation callers such as the terrific Richard Hoiles hardly lay idle on non-Racetech days, as you will all be aware.

    I will be working alongside a 19 year-old chap called Gareth Topham tomorrow evening, whom I believe has been submitting tapes to callers for well over five years, is very well thought of among the cognoscenti already, and has a healthy enough work ethic that he stepped in to call at the Aspatria point-to-point this spring at very short notice… despite living in South Wales. I’m sure he’ll be fine.

    Jeremy
    (graysonscolumn)

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

    #111593
    steveh31
    Participant
    • Total Posts 1927

    I wondered because Sean Boyce has revoiced an advert for the red button on ATR which Ennis did originally so wonder if he had left

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