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I hate hyperbole and cliche in the closing stages. Joviality " absolutely flying home " in the first at Epsom
No, it wasn’t, Jim McGrath
I hate hyperbole and cliche in the closing stages. Joviality " absolutely flying home " in the first at Epsom
No, it wasn’t, Jim McGrath
A new BBC rave soundtrack is being produced…..
Um er er um er,deeper out is um er,wider out is um er,er um er
Speeding round Tattenham corner um er er, um er er
The race deserved better than that, Awful Awful Awful commentating!!
Not much longer to go now and you won’t be hearing Jim on either the BBC or even "further back in the field" and "out deeper on the track" as a course commentator.
He even seemed to forget momentarily, at the winning line, the names of the father and son team Aidan and Joseph O’Brien he said were making history by winning the Derby. There was a long pregnant pause before the remembered the second of the easy-to-forget names…
Meanwhile, I was reading today that Clare Balding is apparently happy for us all to know that she uses St Tropez fake tan. It’s newly fashionable, it would seem, for celebrities to publicise what fake tan they are wearing. Another sign of the times.The race deserved better than that, Awful Awful Awful commentating!!
Not much longer to go now and you won’t be hearing Jim on either the BBC or even "further back in the field" and "out deeper on the track" as a course commentator.
He even seemed to forget momentarily, at the winning line, the names of the father and son team Aidan and Joseph O’Brien he said were making history by winning the Derby. There was a long pregnant pause before the remembered the second of the easy-to-forget names…
Meanwhile, I was reading today that Clare Balding is apparently happy for us all to know that she uses St Tropez fake tan. It’s newly fashionable, it would seem, for celebrities to publicise what fake tan they are wearing. Another sign of the times.What about the Welsh National coverage Crusty, Anything been mentioned about that??. More Importantly what about Iain/Thommo and Darren O? I notice Iain isnt covering Stratford or Cartmel tonight. David Fitzgerald is certainly clocking up the miles, I thought Cartmel completed your set.
Tony Ennis Is coming up north fairly regular now but I cant stand his boring voice, theres Premier league and theres the conference league. Fitzgerald is miles ahead of his time!! Wont be long before the big boys have a fight on their hands
Ennis said in one of his commentaries tonight "I wasn’t impressed with that jump". So jockeys everywhere make sure you do it right or Mr Ennis will not be pleased.
He makes a lot of errors and misses horse running on near the line quite a lot.
Would seem David Fitzgerald is the new starlet in the commentary team maybe they are downsizing and looking to have less commentators with the others expected to do more.
What about the Welsh National coverage Crusty, Anything been mentioned about that?? More Importantly what about Iain/Thommo and Darren O? I notice Iain isnt covering Stratford or Cartmel tonight. David Fitzgerald is certainly clocking up the miles.
Tony Ennis Is coming up north fairly regular now but I cant stand his boring voice. Fitzgerald is miles ahead of his time!!I’m assuming the BBC will bow out with the Welsh National meeting at Chepstow, weather permitting. It makes a good programme and it would be a shame if the BBC’s last hurrah was lost because of the weather.
Once Iain Mackenzie gets the boot, Cartmel will certainly miss him. He’s been a regular there for so many years, they ought to name a race after him: The "Iain Mackenzie Makes Way for Matt Chapman And Other Novices" Chase (confined to amateurs whose faces fit).
David Fitzgerald certainly deserves plenty of praise for the effort he puts in to his commentaries. He’s the best I have heard for a long time, especially for one so young.
I’ve gone off Tony Ennis a bit and Alan Howes has also got a pretty annoying voice, although he does make the effort to add in plenty of extra bits.
A lot them seem to be on Twitter, with the younger and newer ones telling followers how lucky they are to be able to make a living at something they love and some, such as John Blance, predictably regularly sending each other congratulatory messages of the "Great call, Hunty" variety. Darren Owen even gets in on the action, recently receiving a message from a colleague congratulating him on a "great call" at Uttoxeter.
John Hunt seems to keep receiving fawning messages from junior colleagues suitably impressed with his efforts, such as the Worcester race in which he dropped in a "clever" mention at the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s supposed double celebrations. Certainly beats any tiresome mention of irrelevancies such as jockeys.
The Daily Mail was less impressed with the Sir Alex mention, in view of the premature nature of the jest.Once Iain Mackenzie gets the boot, Cartmel will certainly miss him. He’s been a regular there for so many years, they ought to name a race after him: The "Iain Mackenzie Makes Way for Matt Chapman And Other Novices" Chase (confined to amateurs whose faces fit).
quote]Amateur Being the "operative" word Ive just said to myself…..
Its always nice to put a face to a voice you hear, so I typed in Iains name and hey presto, here he is commentating at another one of his regular haunts, Perth. No doubt his p2p commitments will keep him busy as imo his quality of calls hasnt diminished since I started watching racing. Wonder if he continues with his RP race reading, nice to see someone who tells it as it is!!
Its always nice to put a face to a voice you hear, so I typed in Iains name and hey presto, here he is commentating at another one of his regular haunts, Perth. No doubt his p2p commitments will keep him busy as imo his quality of calls hasnt diminished since I started watching racing. Wonder if he continues with his RP race reading, nice to see someone who tells it as it is!!
http://cornfield.photoshelter.com/image … q3DOKHghfAGood to see that picture of Iain Mackenzie. I’m sure our colleague Jeremy Grayson, a noted fan of Iain, will be pleased to see it.
Paul Ostermeyer might also find it useful if he is looking for a new photo to attach to his dartboard or the inside bowl of his toilet. Only joking, Paul! I still find your revelations about your uneasy relationship with Iain Mackenzie fascinating.
I can only pray that Dave doesn’t post any photos of John Hunt and Matt Chapman attending the annual meeting of the Hair Gel Producers Association (UK Ltd) in their capacity as honorary patrons.Paul Ostermeyer might also find it useful if he is looking for a new photo to attach to his dartboard or the inside bowl of his toilet.
Only joking, Paul! I still find your revelations about your uneasy relationship with Iain Mackenzie fascinating.Naughty Crusty – despite the frostiness, I wish Iain no ill will and, as I have already gone on record as saying, I don’t believe he should be one of those under threat.
Having just caught up with the BBC coverage of Epsom I notice Jim almost missed Gatewood’s late charge completely, only picking it up as he hit the front. Unfortunately Jim now seems to have a habit of missing late running winners, I can think of few other occasions where he has done the same in the last year.
I was at a meeting with one of the new commentators recently and he came out with a supreme hyperbole comment at the end of a race. I have to say I was most disappointed, but not wholly surprised, when I saw his racecard and he had it scripted out.
One thing you can be grateful for Crusty is that neither John or Richard used any of the helpful, excruciating, Camelot and Bonfire puns I was suggesting to them in the morning.
As Richard, quite correctly and sensibly, pointed out, races like The Derby are replayed again and again so you have to play the commentary pretty straight. It’s interesting Richard took the same father / son angle in the closing stages and managed to carry it off with more aplomb than Jim did on the Beeb.
Having just caught up with the BBC coverage of Epsom I notice Jim almost missed Gatewood’s late charge completely, only picking it up as he hit the front. Unfortunately Jim now seems to have a habit of missing late running winners, I can think of few other occasions where he has done the same in the last year.
I was at a meeting with one of the new commentators recently and he came out with a supreme hyperbole comment at the end of a race. I have to say I was most disappointed, but not wholly surprised, when I saw his racecard and he had it scripted out.
One thing you can be grateful for Crusty is that neither John or Richard used any of the helpful, excruciating, Camelot and Bonfire puns I was suggesting to them in the morning.
It’s interesting Richard took the same father / son angle in the closing stages and managed to carry it off with more aplomb than Jim did on the Beeb.I’m sure these shortcomings for the BBC will also have helped seal Jim McGrath’s fate as a racecourse commentator, especially if he is seen to be found wanting on the big occasions, let alone the bread and butter meetings.
It’s sad to see his apparently terminal decline, especially as when he first started, everyone was saying how great he was. Now you can barely find anyone with a good word to say about him. I’m hoping he sounds off in the Racing Post again soon about how badly he has been treated by the commentary powers-that-be, if only for the pure entertainment value.
Glad to hear that Mr Boat Race, John Hunt, managed to avoid the awful puns for the radio commentary of the big race. I have to say, he certainly did an excellent commentary. I haven’t heard it but, as you know, I am now contractually obliged to say it was excellent. Roll on his commentaries for the Olympics, I say.
A bit depressing if one of the new commentators has got his carefully-rehearsed ad libs written out in advance. I’m hoping it wasn’t as blatantly rehearsed as Graham Goode’s cringemaking "And I swear it’s Oath who…"
Many believe that was the predictable groaner that precipitated his fall from favour.I’m sure these shortcomings for the BBC will also have helped seal Jim McGrath’s fate as a racecourse commentator, especially if he is seen to be found wanting on the big occasions, let alone the bread and butter meetings.
I was at a "bread and butter" meeting the other week and, sadly, he even managed to get in a mess with a four runner contest.
It’s sad to see his apparently terminal decline, especially as when he first started, everyone was saying how great he was. Now you can barely find anyone with a good word to say about him.
…. and he was brilliant when he first arrived and he, more than anyone, is responsible for the demise of stifled, plummy boring commentary which used to be the norm.
…. and he was brilliant when he first arrived and he, more than anyone, is responsible for the demise of stifled, plummy boring commentary which used to be the norm.
Jim certainly was a breath of fresh air at the time. I remember a racing professional telling me at the time, in Jim’s presence, that he would brighten up any dull meeting with his commentaries.
When you consider that we used to have to listen to the patrician, Eton tones of Cloudesley Marsham, plummy Lake District solicitor Varlian Vyner-Brooks, Mogadon Man and Britain’s most boring commentator Bryan Firth, hesitant and pedestrian Ken Grainger and bumbling West Country gentleman John Cotterell, he really was a revolution with his Australian twang and "scraping the paint" catchphrases.
How times have changed. Now he seems to be a shadow of his former self and has an increasingly stumbling style and delivery.Going back to Matt Chapman he’s now getting so bad I’m getting close to turning down the sound whenever he speaks. Is he trying to do a John McCririck and make parody of himself to be so annoying?
Its always nice to put a face to a voice you hear, so I typed in Iains name and hey presto, here he is commentating at another one of his regular haunts, Perth. No doubt his p2p commitments will keep him busy as imo his quality of calls hasnt diminished since I started watching racing. Wonder if he continues with his RP race reading, nice to see someone who tells it as it is!!
http://cornfield.photoshelter.com/image … q3DOKHghfAGood to see that picture of Iain Mackenzie. I’m sure our colleague Jeremy Grayson, a noted fan of Iain, will be pleased to see it.
Paul Ostermeyer might also find it useful if he is looking for a new photo to attach to his dartboard or the inside bowl of his toilet. Only joking, Paul! I still find your revelations about your uneasy relationship with Iain Mackenzie fascinating.
I can only pray that Dave doesn’t post any photos of John Hunt and Matt Chapman attending the annual meeting of the Hair Gel Producers Association (UK Ltd) in their capacity as honorary patrons.Do you like the Orville the duck impression Crusty Baby
http://www.britishchampionsseries.com/n … goers.html
Im sure you will appreciate seeing your mate John of course
http://www.racingpost.com/news/horse-ra … t7DaysNews
Interesting also to note that when you type in John Hunt, "my brothers horse strangely pops up also" As Nick Ross used to say "dont have nightmares". A Claire or a John??
…. and he was brilliant when he first arrived and he, more than anyone, is responsible for the demise of stifled, plummy boring commentary which used to be the norm.
Jim certainly was a breath of fresh air at the time. I remember a racing professional telling me at the time, in Jim’s presence, that he would brighten up any dull meeting with his commentaries.
When you consider that we used to have to listen to the patrician, Eton tones of Cloudesley Marsham, plummy Lake District solicitor Varlian Vyner-Brooks, Mogadon Man and Britain’s most boring commentator Bryan Firth, hesitant and pedestrian Ken Grainger and bumbling West Country gentleman John Cotterell, he really was a revolution with his Australian twang and "scraping the paint" catchphrases.
How times have changed. Now he seems to be a shadow of his former self and has an increasingly stumbling style and delivery.I remember being in the bookies one summer night listening to Johnny Turner attempt to call a race, not only did he like to bumble away, his voice caved in to the extent we nearly ripped the RP off the wall and done our own… Hoarse racing at its worst!
Only joking, Paul! I still find your revelations about your uneasy relationship with Iain Mackenzie fascinating.
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