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Simon Holt is my favourite of the current generation and he’ll say things like ‘Inglis Drever is off the bridle but we’ve seen him hit a flat spot before’ and it all adds to the drama IMO.
Lee McKenzie is one of the unsung ones that I like listening to but I think he gets a bit of criticism elsewhere so I’m not sure what the general opinion is.
Aussie Jim and Dessie Scahill are tired and just go through the motions for me, neither should be in the high profile positions they’re in.
Expressed elsewhere my appreciation of LeeMac.
Craig
richard hoiles and simon holt are very good imo,aussie jim may have been good at one time personnaly i find him quite poor now and i have lost count of the number of times thommo says( and hear comes ) at the end of a race absolutely dreadful, however to be fair it is a difficult and responsible job.
The commentator has a very difficult balance to strike – not only is he providing significant information for those with an interest in the race but he also has to make the race interesting for those on course who may not be regular racecgoers, so he has to make it interesting for them as well.
So which should he aim the commentary at, bearing in mind it is probably impossible to fully please both audiences?
I don’t buy that Paul, would have thought the casual racegoer would be more interested in just the running of the race and how their fancy was going rather than "interesting" facts, it is my preference too.
Are you not in danger of making the assumption that everyone actually has a fiscal interest of fancy in the race – a large number of those who go racing, myself included, do not bet in the vast majority of races.
Racing is an entertainment industry and oncourse racegoers have a right to be entertained as well as informed and informing extends to more than just reeling off the order of the runners. Not every racegoer has the knowledge the majority on this forum have and additional information provided by the commentator is important to setting the scene or adding colour.
I think Thommo’s commentating at grounds like Wolverhampton and Southwell is spot on for the track. The majority of punters there are going to be out for a fun night out with their mates, everyone knows the racing’s not top class so he just makes it sound fun. It wouldn’t work at Cheltenham but for Wolvers, it does.
Totally agree about Dessie, he’s past it. He’s got no personality, which is presumably a style he’s chosen but I find it dull, he misses anything past the first half dozen horses and almost every time mispronounces at least one of the horse’s names.
Hi all,
Just a quick question Does anyone know if Iain MacKenzie has retired or something as I have not heard him for several months now?Cheers
SteveWe have some really good commentators at the moment, but the main one’s all seem to have similar styles and I personally would like to know where the new batch of commentators are coming from – the "young blood" if you will, with different styles and approaches to calling races.
There are younger talents waiting in the wings, Marb, and if you get lucky enough you’ll find them plying their trade either at point-to-points, or on certain racing radio stations / off-tube services (e.g. ICS), or both. I think I’ve extolled the virtues of Gareth Topham and Steve Powell (both still the right side of 20, I believe) on these pages before, and Nick Child is also an improving talent.
Out of interest, what sort of "different styles and approaches to calling races" are you hoping someone would employ, Marb? I’m not sure that any of the young men I’ve listed offer a style of commentary radically different to anything on the Racetech roster at present – the first two named in particular certainly have much in common with Simon Holt delivery-wise. That’s absolutely fine by me, though.
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.
Just a quick question Does anyone know if Iain MacKenzie has retired or something as I have not heard him for several months now?
I’m party to no inside information on the matter, and wouldn’t knowingly betray a confidence in any event, but the pattern of recent years suggests Iain’s Racetech stints are allotted between January and October. I’ve no reason to believe he won’t be a regular fixture back at the Huntingdons, Ludlows and Fakenhams of this world – plus a stack of point-to-points – within the next couple of weeks.
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.
Just a quick question Does anyone know if Iain MacKenzie has retired or something as I have not heard him for several months now?
I’m party to no inside information on the matter, and wouldn’t knowingly betray a confidence in any event, but the pattern of recent years suggests Iain’s Racetech stints are allotted between January and October. I’ve no reason to believe he won’t be a regular fixture back at the Huntingdons, Ludlows and Fakenhams of this world – plus a stack of point-to-points – within the next couple of weeks.
gc
I think your correct as that is when he is putting the finishing touches to his Point to Point Bible.
He is a very good commentator and always fillis in gaps with information about various things especially when working at the lower grade of jump racing which is his forte and does almost all the Cartmel fixtures.
It might be other racing / pointing interests he’s engaged with rather than the Annual, Neil, as the compilation of that finishes a little before October – it’s generally released a week to 10 days into November.
Iain is my absolute favourite, as regulars on here will know, and for the precise reasons Neil mentioned as well as the waspish humour (which both he and Martin use to even greater effect at point-to-points).
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.
Hi all,
Just a quick question Does anyone know if Iain MacKenzie has retired or something as I have not heard him for several months now?Cheers
SteveOff on his hols – back in a couple of weeks.
Hi all,
Just a quick question Does anyone know if Iain MacKenzie has retired or something as I have not heard him for several months now?Cheers
SteveOff on his hols – back in a couple of weeks.
Oh God! Hoping he’d retired
Race commentators are just a left over from a bygone age, when there was no television and spectators at the course needed someone to tell them whwer there horse was when it was behind the trees or too far away. Like wise for stay at home punters with their crystal sets or nipping down the bookies to listen to the blower. (He said tongue in cheek
)Race commentators are just a left over from a bygone age, when there was no television and spectators at the course needed someone to tell them whwer there horse was when it was behind the trees or too far away. Like wise for stay at home punters with their crystal sets or nipping down the bookies to listen to the blower. (He said tongue in cheek
)I hear they have the internet on computers now!
Craig
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