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All three of the 2011 "trainees" are being given 15 days, in their own right, in the first six months of 2012 – effectively as a trial.
Whereas with the 2010 batch David Fitzgerald stood out head and shoulders above the other duo, this year’s group were very much of a similar standard.Glad to see the Racing Post has today finally reported on what Paul Ostermeyer revealed here days ago.
A report on page seven of today’s paper says that Matt Chapman, Gary Capewell and John Blance are being given not a full year’s contract on the racecourse commentary rota, as in the case of David Fitzgerald this year, but 15 days, as Paul said.
Their performances would be reviewed in July and no fixtures had been allocated, says the article. They would be three new voices in an "increasingly competitive sector", says the report.
Gary Capewell, 26, is said to have done Arab race commentaries since 2004 as well as William Hill Radio, and John Blance, 32, is said to be known from his SIS voiceover work for betting shops.
I suppose the fact that David Fitzgerald was given a one-year contract for this year and is already on next year’s rota, with three dates on the January list, shows how head and shoulders above the rest he must have been.
Shame it took the Racing Post so long to cotton on and it seems likely they limped into action after a gentle prod by way of a post on another thread on this forum, pointing out the omission, the other day. Well done to Paul for showing the way with his initial information. Fancy the Racing Post being so slack as to have to follow up a post on here.Gary Capewell, 26, is said to have done Arab race commentaries since 2004 as well as William Hill Radio,
If anyone has been at Newbury when there has been an Arab race tagged onto the card then they will probably have heard Gary calling the race.
Oh no, bad enough having Matt Chapman on ATR he’s now getting to annoy me by commentating on the racecourse, such punishment.
Oh no, bad enough having Matt Chapman on ATR he’s now getting to annoy me by commentating on the racecourse, such punishment.
Phil, as I’ve said before, I just hope he doesn’t do the commentaries in that fake, patronising, totally unnatural voice that he does his At The Races broadcasts in.
He’s a good commentator, as I have said, when he has to do off-tube commentaries for foreign races and will no doubt do an excellent job as a course commentator. But why does he have to use the over-the-top, ridiculous, stupidly modulated, synthetic-sounding voice? It spoils what he does.
Having said that, he has won awards for the broadcaster of the year in the past and is very popular in some quarters, so it’s a case of horses for courses. He admitted in a Q&A on this forum that he divides opinion and is something of a Marmite Man, so who am I to say anything?
At least his At The Races colleagues "do it straight".According to ATR tonight Matt Chapman has been given 15 meetings for the first six months of next year as a trial.
According to Chappers, Gary Capewell (does a lot of Pure Arab meetings) and John Blanche are also on board next year.CarryOnKatie deserves credit for latching on to this snippet on At The Races and making a post about it, giving the names of the three soon-to-be-heard new commentators.
The Racing Post has finally caught up today, all those days later, by giving the names of the three, no doubt after monitoring this forum.
The crazy thing is that the Racing Post no doubt has reporters monitoring the At The Races and Racing UK feeds for potential news stories. They obviously didn’t pick up on it and have done so only after posts on this forum.
Sean, hope you’re impressed that I have remembered that you are not a woman and that your user name is a tribute to your wife, the real Katie. Give her my regards. Spare a thought for me because one of the two Katies I work with, the one who sits opposite me, is leaving tomorrow. No longer will I be able to admire her big… er, personality traits.Have just come across an interesting article in The Racing Horse on rising star of the commentating world, Gareth Topham.
It is dated December this year and contains photographs of him with Simon Holt, Darren Owen and Lee McKenzie. This is the text of it below. Thought other forum members who, like me, do not know much about him might be interested.——————————————————————————————————————————-
We bumped into emerging star and ace racing commentator Gareth Topham and I asked him how he got into racing. Showing typical verve and a love of racing he said: “If you ask most people what got them what got them into racing they will probably reveal their old memories of the Grand National or Red Rum and I am no different. Although ‘Rummy’ was slightly before my time but it was still the Aintree showpiece that got me hooked in the late 1990s.”
He continued: “I remember watching the racing on the TV with my father and one of my earliest memories was the 1997 Grand National, the year of the bomb-scare. I remember being so gutted at learning the race wasn’t going to take place. Even at the age of eight-years old, when I found out the race was to be run on the Monday, I was more than reluctant to go to school than usual as I wanted to take in the build-up which I’d been robbed of that weekend. Of course, it was the last National that Sir Peter O’Sullevan called for the BBC.”
So I asked Gareth what got him into commentating in particular, he replied: “I was always a Grand National fan and it was Jim McGrath’s call on Bobbyjo in 1999 which made me feel more interested in getting behind the mic. It was a compelling call and not just that, I could hear the track commentator in the background ‘rev-up’ the crowd going to the final fence. I thought to myself ‘I would like a go at that!’
That summer, and on every Saturday for the seven or eight which followed it, I would practise calling in front of the television on live races. It was a hobby, which would after a while I realised could become a career.
The first commentators I met were Channel 4′s Simon Holt and Mike Cattermole at Exeter in 2001, probably the only track in the South which hadn’t been affected by the dreaded ‘Foot and Mouth’ epidemic of that spring. After receiving advice from both I sent them tapes of my efforts, and for the years which followed, went to the races as often as I could to meet whoever was commentating that day.
Since then I have all but completed the set in terms of meeting, and things have just blossomed. I’ve been lucky enough to get opportunities calling point-to-points all over the country, as well as harness racing in Wales each summer.
I was fortunate to be given the gig as a BBC spotter for Darren Owen at the 2011 Grand National. Standing on a temporary scaffold between the Bechers Brook and Foinavon fences is absolutely terrifying I can assure you, particularly when you see 40 horses in the distance thundering towards you, knowing at the same time that at any minute, your own rollercoaster ride begins! The aim is still to make the racecourse as a professional and it was really heart-warming to call a couple of pony races at my former local track in Chepstow, on a proper race-day back in October this year. Chepstow was the first track I visited as a kid and the last time I had been there due to my move up North, had been years ago. I certainly hadn’t imagined that day that the next time I’d be there I would be welcoming racegoers to a top-class afternoon’s sport!
The aim is to keep my head down and perhaps just one day, I’ll be lucky enough to take them through a whole card!”
The 2011/2012 season will be my sixth commentating at point to point meetings. Over the last few years I have gained more and more experience through being given the opportunities by secretaries and once again I’d like to try and progress further. My latest season involved calling the Lady Dudley Cup card at Chaddesley Corbett for the second year running as well as meetings in the South and Central, North West/East and South Wales areas.
I work regularly as a commentator for William Hill Radio and carry out similar work for ICS – the company which supplies studio-based, off-tube commentaries to many betting shops. Away from that, my summer has included calling harness racing all over the country, Arab races at Fakenham and Salisbury racecourses, and in addition to this pony racing at Chepstow racecourse at their first National Hunt meeting of the new and current season.”
We at The Racing Horse have met Gareth and understand how much he loves horse racing but already his quality commentaries contradict his youth. I purposely spent Saturday 26 November 2011 listening to him call the Newbury races on Wiliam Hill Radio and it was first class! His build up through the race whilst relaying vital information about those going well and those not quite so well proved he understood what the punter wanted to here. He gave the favourite the requisite amount of words so as to keep the listener aware of its progress or demise (something a lot of commentators fail to understand)!
Incidentally he is not the worst tipster in the world and we at The Racing Horse will ask him for his selection each day so that we may go head to head with him! We will start our mini-competition on Saturday. We will be a lot harder to beat than the crew from William Hill Radio team (we will give a selection other than a Pacafi Bet).
We asked Gareth who his favourite commentators are, he said: “If asked today who my favourite commentators are, it has to be an enthralling caller who can get any sort of crowd excited. After all, we are in the entertainment industry! On that basis I would say my outright favourite is Lee McKenzie who has such a unique style in delivering his race-calls. Excitable right from the very start and in the summer in particular, I think his stance works so well with the big crowds. As an overall race-day broadcast package, he nails it every time. Lee makes things easy to understand and I find him an entertaining and informative listen.
I am also a huge fan of Simon Holt of Channel 4. He was one of the first commentators I ever met and has done loads for me in terms of advice and work opportunities. I think he has a superb voice and a smooth, very easy on the ear delivery. He seems to nail the excitement level for the race he is calling better than any other does. He is class through and through.
Mark Johnson and Darren Owen would be my other favourites. Mark, who now works over in America as well as in the UK, has one of the most powerful voices going. In my opinion he is a genius at meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival, where he has the crowd on their feet from a long way out in any race. Darren has done loads for me over the last few years and has become a good friend. After spotting for him at Bechers Brook in the 2011 Grand National under the BBC umbrella I will always be grateful for such an opportunity. I enjoy his flat race commentaries at places like Chester in particular. He has a very rhythmic delivery and can certainly make a great atmosphere at any meeting.”You cannot deny that both O’Sullevan and Bromley carried on far too long – although granted they were way older than the current batch of callers.
Watching the Channel 4 coverage of Cheltenham yesterday, it was great to see Sir Peter O’Sullevan in apparently fine form in his 90s, busy signing books with Brough Scott.
There was a later shot of him in the background walking around the paddock like he was still in his prime.
Sir Peter was the finest racing commentator of all on his day, with his superb voice and so many memorable commentaries, those on Desert Orchid and Red Rum being probably the most memorable.
His modesty in only reluctantly mentioning himself in passing after the victory of his own Attivo in the 1974 Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham was a mark of the man. His legendary punts also passed into folklore.
Brough Scott, now one of the top men at the Racing Post, was also looking remarkably youthful. I used to watch him in the old ITV 7 days, with his sparring with John Oaksey, but he never looked quite so comfortable after the transfer of racing to Channel 4, with his appearances tailing off to virtually nothing.Watching the Channel 4 coverage of Cheltenham yesterday, it was great to see Sir Peter O’Sullevan in apparently fine form in his 90s,
He is absolutely amazing for a 93 year old, really sprightly, I occasionally bump into him at various racecourses and am also amazed at how astute he still is mentally as well.
He, also, still drives himself to Longchamp for the Arc meeting.
Since this thread has kicked off, I’ve been listening closely to DF’s commentary. He’s impressive. A good example of his depth of knowledge at today’s Southwell meet when, as the 40-1 shot Monte Cassino in the final race crossed the line, he pulled the factoid of it being his first victory in 32 attempts out the bag! That’s fairly good knowledge to have in a field of 13 for a long shot.
Since this thread has kicked off, I’ve been listening closely to DF’s commentary. He’s impressive. A good example of his depth of knowledge at today’s Southwell meet when, as the 40-1 shot Monte Cassino in the final race crossed the line, he pulled the factoid of it being his first victory in 32 attempts out the bag! That’s fairly good knowledge to have in a field of 13 for a long shot.
David Fitzgerald was on good form on the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Saturday evening.
Good, solid, commentaries, with plenty of mentions of jockeys and other bits of information. He also handled the handovers on At The Races from Matt Chapman with commendable professionalism, not slipping into the inane, voice-tortured, over-the-top babble that plumbed new depths from Chapman that night. It’s so fake, it’s unbelievable.
David wished Chapman "good luck for next year" — a reference to him joining the commentary rota. Gawd help us. Chapman insisted on calling him "Davy Fitzgerald" on every handover, just to add to the fake bonhomie.
Chapman went further down in my estimation today when I belatedly read in a paper from earlier in the week that, during the awards ceremony he hosted this week, he upset a few people by his repeated use of the f-word. Totally unnecessary and showing a distinct lack of professionalism, not to mention lack of respect for the guests, most of whom I presume would not want to here that sort of language on an occasion like that.Since this thread has kicked off, I’ve been listening closely to DF’s commentary. He’s impressive. A good example of his depth of knowledge at today’s Southwell meet when, as the 40-1 shot Monte Cassino in the final race crossed the line, he pulled the factoid of it being his first victory in 32 attempts out the bag! That’s fairly good knowledge to have in a field of 13 for a long shot.
Have finally got round to watching the recording of this day’s racing and agree that David Fitzgerald was again on good form at Southwell.
He often mentioned during the commentaries the number of winners the jockeys had ridden that season, notably Joe Fanning being on 99 winners for the year at the time, as well as the number of successes by horses, including their course victories at Southwell, which shows excellent preparation.
I would like to think he has picked up on the praise there has been for him from quite a few forum members on this thread and that it may encourage him to think he is doing well in this his first year on the proper commentators’ rota.
I noticed in the races from Hereford on At The Races that the commentary was nearly always faded out after the first three or four home, which seems ironic as we have been told that At The Races have apparently asked commentators to keep going and do a full finishing order in races (much to the chagrin of some forum members who don’t see the point of mentioning the tail-enders).
Richard Pitman has had a lot of criticism on the Sam "Wally" Cohen thread for his apparent acceptance of Sam Waley Cohen’s explanation for seemingly riding a finish too soon at Fakenham.
Pitman, 68, got a mention in one of the papers yesterday for his decision to donate one of his kidneys.
He will undergo the operation at the Nuffield Hospital, Oxford, in the New Year and is preparing by trying to lose a stone, cutting down his wine from three glasses to one, and swapping his bedtime whisky and water for yohurt.
According to the article, Pitman was inspired by the the ordeal of a close friend who would have died from kidney failure if one had not been available for a transplant.Good to see David Fitzgerald being praised by both Paul Ostermeyer and Jeremy Grayson on their Twitter feeds.
They have both told him what a good job he did during his first year on the commentary rota and wished him luck for the next year.
David modestly replied to Jeremy: "Thank you. Don’t think I’ve been all that good so far but still learning and know I can do a lot better."
Very good attitude. Jeremy told him: "My pleasure, sir. And wishing you well ahead of a second year on the Racetech roster – very impressive throughout the first."
Paul told him: "Don’t sell yourself short David – you have had an excellent "debut" year and have impressed many. Well done."
I’m sure there’s no chance of David having his performance as a commentator reviewed by the powers-that-be.I’ve just played back today’s action from Huntingdon, at which Derek Thompson was the duty commentator, and must give the man appreciable credit for pronouncing Wiesentraum (GER) correctly throughout.
I don’t know if correct rendering of foreign names is something on which all roster commentators – threatened or otherwise – are adjudged, but few get German names consistently correct (most renderings of "Seebald" were painful beyond mere anglicisation, for example). That’s quite irritating given the language throws fewer curveballs than some others that are more judiciously rendered.
Well played, Thommo.
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.
I’ve just played back today’s action from Huntingdon, at which Derek Thompson was the duty commentator, and must give the man appreciable credit for pronouncing Wiesentraum (GER) correctly throughout.
I don’t know if correct rendering of foreign names is something on which all roster commentators – threatened or otherwise – are adjudged, but few get German names consistently correct (most renderings of "Seebald" were painful beyond mere anglicisation, for example). That’s quite irritating given the language throws fewer curveballs than some others that are more judiciously rendered.
Well played, Thommo.That’s definitely sealed his fate now. Getting it right will be seen as an aggravating feature when his fate is determined in a few months’ time.
I’ve just played back today’s action from Huntingdon, at which Derek Thompson was the duty commentator, and must give the man appreciable credit for pronouncing Wiesentraum (GER) correctly throughout.
I don’t know if correct rendering of foreign names is something on which all roster commentators – threatened or otherwise – are adjudged, but few get German names consistently correct (most renderings of "Seebald" were painful beyond mere anglicisation, for example). That’s quite irritating given the language throws fewer curveballs than some others that are more judiciously rendered.
Well played, Thommo.
gc
An interesting topic – where does one draw the line between "natural" and Anglicised pronunciation? For example when talking about the capital of France do you say Pa-ris or Pa-ree? I’m sure 99% of us (Fely excepted) would say the former, although the latter is, strictly speaking, correct.
Having said that most callers do try and get the correct pronunciation and there have been many pre-racing debated in press rooms over how a name should be pronounced. I’ve even known some commentators ring the commentator who called it last time it ran to see what they called it.
If connections are around then their view usually prevails. I say usually as one of the most controversial names at present is Divers – which commentators call with the French emphasis, Deeevers, whereas the owners are insistent it is Divers, as in underwater swimmers.
When there is doubt the final arbiter is very often the judge – the logic being as long as the judge and commentator agree, at least both get it wrong the same way.
But I’m not sure if the correct German pronunciation will mitigate the several mistakes Tommo made during the afternoon. Paradoxically, knowing they are under review, will probably force more mistakes from those under review commentators – as if there is not enough pressure in the job.
I’ve just played back today’s action from Huntingdon, at which Derek Thompson was the duty commentator, and must give the man appreciable credit for pronouncing Wiesentraum (GER) correctly throughout.
I don’t know if correct rendering of foreign names is something on which all roster commentators – threatened or otherwise – are adjudged, but few get German names consistently correct (most renderings of "Seebald" were painful beyond mere anglicisation, for example). That’s quite irritating given the language throws fewer curveballs than some others that are more judiciously rendered.
Well played, Thommo.
gc
Interesting you should spot that as I was involved in a conversation between myself, Thommo and the judge on the correct pronunciation of the name prior to the race and we decided that because it was German bred it should be ‘Vee-sen-trowm’!
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