- This topic has 33 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 1 month ago by
.
- Posts
Hoiles is a class apart in my view. The breadth of his commentary vocabulary is terrific and he balances this perfectly with getting the important facts across in a timely fashion. His knowledge and enthusiasm for the game shine through as well. I think I heard he is a fair punter, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Hoiles is a class apart in my view. The breadth of his commentary vocabulary is terrific and he balances this perfectly with getting the important facts across in a timely fashion. His knowledge and enthusiasm for the game shine through as well. I think I heard he is a fair punter, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Couldn’t, agree more – I personally think he has the edge over Holt.
Reluctantly, I have to agree; all Des does is give the running order; he never picks up on mistakes, or how a horse is going. He’s been there for so long it will be hard to shift him, tho.
Hoiles is a class apart in my view. The breadth of his commentary vocabulary is terrific and he balances this perfectly with getting the important facts across in a timely fashion. His knowledge and enthusiasm for the game shine through as well. I think I heard he is a fair punter, which doesn’t surprise me at all.
Couldn’t, agree more – I personally think he has the edge over Holt.
At the big meetings and with the big races there is very little, if anything, to separate Simon and Richard – both are excellent callers.
My only, very minor, criticism of Simon would be when he is at some of the quieter midweek meetings and he, sometimes, sounds bored, almost as though he doesn’t want to be there – which is understandable at some meetings, I know that feeling well myself.
I know his style is not to everyone’s liking but the most technically competent and accurate caller is Mark Johnson. I was at a meeting earlier in the year where there were, unusually, half a dozen callers in the press room and the conversation came round to "if your life depended on a commentator giving a 100% accurate call who would you choose?" The unanimous choice was Mark Johnson.
I would edge Hoiles over Holt, with the pair of them being the best in my opinion. Hoiles seems to have an excellent tone for commentary too, although that may be just a personal preference of mine. I think he truly revolutionised the game with his ‘storybook’ style which has now become the standard.
By comparison Scahill and O’Hehir are appalling, offering a commentary for the 1970’s Extel age.
The trouble with Scahill in particular is that he
always
sounds bored. He simply repeats the name of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ad nauseam (rarely venturing further down the field) and fills the rest of his commentaries with links-by-rote of the "down the back straight on the rising ground approaching the run to the fourth last" type. He is absolutely busking it in my opinion.
Irish racing is doing itself no favours here, as he makes their product just sound incredibly dull. How he or O’Hehir are still employed is an absolute mystery to me.
Mike
By comparison Scahill and O’Hehir are appalling, offering a commentary for the 1970’s Extel age.
The trouble with Scahill in particular is that he
always
sounds bored. He simply repeats the name of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ad nauseam (rarely venturing further down the field) and fills the rest of his commentaries with links-by-rote of the "down the back straight on the rising ground approaching the run to the fourth last" type. He is absolutely busking it in my opinion.
Irish racing is doing itself no favours here, as he makes their product just sound incredibly dull. How he or O’Hehir are still employed is an absolute mystery to me.
Mike
The previously mentioned Richard Pugh is the best of the "regular" Irish callers, however the best Irish caller of them all only calls three days a year (as far as I’m aware), on Five Live, and that is ATR front man Gary O’Brien where he is part of the Aintree commentary team and an excellent job he does too – I’ve long said he should be the successor to Des, whether he would want to give up his presentation job is another matter though.
Anyone know who the chap was doing the comms from Down Royal today?
Not the greatest, put perfectly reasonable and streets ahead of the two aforementioned Southern commentators.
Mike
Anyone know who the chap was doing the comms from Down Royal today?
Not the greatest, put perfectly reasonable and streets ahead of the two aforementioned Southern commentators.
Mike
I haven’t heard today’s commentary but I would strongly suspect it is the aforementioned Richard Pugh who does nearly all the Down Royal and Downpatrick commentaries
Can confirm having just listened now that it was indeed Richard Pugh.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
Hoiles for me.
On a slightly different note, I watched the Breeders’ Cup online and loved their moving racecard numbers at the bottom of the screen. I’m assuming GPS chips were carried to allow it. If CH4 are not yet lobbying the BHA for this, they should be. In fact it should be a ‘given’, in every UK race, for all viewers – even on the big screen at the track.
It would do no harm at all to turnover and might even boost it.
On a slightly different note, I watched the Breeders’ Cup online and loved their moving racecard numbers at the bottom of the screen. I’m assuming GPS chips were carried to allow it. If CH4 are not yet lobbying the BHA for this, they should be. In fact it should be a ‘given’, in every UK race, for all viewers – even on the big screen at the track.
It would do no harm at all to turnover and might even boost it.
What’s the point of them? I find them a distraction and just another thing cluttering up the screen. Why not watch the horses rather than numbers.
Nice commentary from Barty at Kempton today.
" from one side to t’other safely enough " as Captain Cutter was ponderous at the final fence
On a slightly different note, I watched the Breeders’ Cup online and loved their moving racecard numbers at the bottom of the screen. I’m assuming GPS chips were carried to allow it. If CH4 are not yet lobbying the BHA for this, they should be. In fact it should be a ‘given’, in every UK race, for all viewers – even on the big screen at the track.
It would do no harm at all to turnover and might even boost it.
What’s the point of them? I find them a distraction and just another thing cluttering up the screen. Why not watch the horses rather than numbers.
We’re experienced enough to be watching horses and knowing, at least, where your own is during a race. Not many casual racegoers or watchers would be as confident in doing that. There could always be an option, like subtitles, to have them on or off
On a slightly different note, I watched the Breeders’ Cup online and loved their moving racecard numbers at the bottom of the screen. I’m assuming GPS chips were carried to allow it. If CH4 are not yet lobbying the BHA for this, they should be. In fact it should be a ‘given’, in every UK race, for all viewers – even on the big screen at the track.
It would do no harm at all to turnover and might even boost it.
What’s the point of them? I find them a distraction and just another thing cluttering up the screen. Why not watch the horses rather than numbers.
We’re experienced enough to be watching horses and knowing, at least, where your own is during a race. Not many casual racegoers or watchers would be as confident in doing that. There could always be an option, like subtitles, to have them on or off
Agreed – said exactly the same thing myself earlier ( or in another tv related thread ! )
We’re experienced enough to be watching horses and knowing, at least, where your own is during a race. Not many casual racegoers or watchers would be as confident in doing that. There could always be an option, like subtitles, to have them on or off
Yes, all these mythical non racing people just waiting to be attracted to the sport by turning numbers at the bottom of screen.
Presumably they’re all betting on greyhound racing or the lottery at the moment.You may as well say showing horses in the paddock and going to post much more often, may increase turnover and be much more attractive to racing fans as turning balls on screen for mythical non racing fans.
Excellent stuff from Richard Hoiles at Exeter today.
Particularly liked the "mud splattered blob moving into 6th " in appalling conditions.
The Irish commentary scene could do with a bit of shake up maybe. Dessie has been a great servant, but his style doesn’t fit in well with the modern standards that are expected. I like Hannon and Pugh, but I wonder would an English commentator be given a chance, as I do like their style.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.