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Just like Distant View who never even got within a length of Maroof in the 1994 QE II Stakes, Nashwa was always at least one or one and a half lengths behind the first two today.
And by the way, she wasn’t storming home at any stage of today’s race.
I’m largely with you, ERL – none of them comes remotely close to touching O’Sullevan in his hey day – so many theatrical lines delivered with gravitas in those gravelly tones.
But even he had his cliches – endless numbers of horses were “coming there strongly,” “storming clear” and “winning in tremendous style” and he made many mistakes, especially in his latter years.
Tbf to Holt, of all the assorted overgrown eternal schoolboy anoraks who’ve done the job since, Holt would be my pick of the bunch.
“Born to win The Derby! His day of destiny!” when calling Australia home was pretty good.
Having had 8/1 ante-post might render me a little biased, though!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"I’m also with you about Holt, Ian. He is my number one as ne rarely raises his voice, is always fully aware of an injured horse and doesn’t tell us anything about two shades of blue.
Maybe he was on Naswha today and got a bit too excited. That Australia Derby call was one to remember, especially for that kind of race.
Probably in a bit of a minority here but I never rated O’Sullevan I found him stuttery and was glad when he retired.
The more I know the less I understand.
I always found it mildly amusing he had trouble pronouncing Ventiquattrofogli.
The more I know the less I understand.
Game of opinions, RTB – many may agree with you.
Commentators are like food – very much down to personal taste.
But a string of O’Sullevan commentaries in the 60, 70s and up to 1980 had youthful me in awe of him: Arkle’s first Cheltenham Gold Cup “this is the best we’ve seen,” Allez France’s Arc “and here she comes, the Queen of Longchamp,” Sagaro’s third Gold Cup “Lester’s looking round for dangers – thinks he’s got Buckskin cold,” Sea Pigeon’s first Champion Hurdle win at the umpteenth attempt “He’s won it at last!” and, of course, that immortal Red Rum third Grand National.
But he should have retired at the start of the 80s – he didn’t half make some mistakes in his declining years!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"For a minute there Ian, I thought you were going to say “and the mares beginning to get up”
I’m sure you know I was on our beloved Wayward Lad at 12/1 win only so that’s the O’Sullevan commentary I’ve been trying to expunge from my memory banks ever since!
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Ian is a bit of a Wayward Lad
“and they are away 22 days to make a vote”
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“and Hughesie beginning to get up”TRF 2022 poster of the year
Charles Darwin to conquer the World
Still fuming tbf.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"“He made many mistakes, especially in his latter years.”
He certainly did. It is a pity because he delivered some of the greatest sporting commentaries. As ID says, his call on Red Rum’s third Grand National victory was a masterclass which never fails to impress even today.
However, some of his calls in later years were embarrassing. He often called horses by wrong names, just about the worst thing a commentator can do.
By all accounts he was a prickly character and it sounds to me like no one had the guts to tell him he was washed up. A great commentator in his prime but he outstayed his welcome by at least five years and probably a lot more.
Set Sail and… Grand Ducal, there about five in front now of Stacelita, he’s getting up on the inside of Sea the Stars, he’s got six or seven lengths to make up, he’ll have to be a champion. Stacelita races into the lead now, 2 in front, he is a champion I reckon, he’s got the run though in the center, he’s out after the leader, he picks up Stacelita, he powers clear! Sea the Stars racing away perfection in equine form, a horse of a lifetime he’s just going to go on and win the arc by two lengths!
Commentator Jim McGrath describes the climax of the 2009 Arc 👌👌.
I’m glad to say my only direct experience of O’Sullevan was a positive one.
It was at Glorious Goodwood, funnily enough, in the late 1980s.
As young Editor of the Racing & Football Outlook I had a press badge and upon request was kindly given a badge for my Dad, and so was able to repay him a little for the many times he took me racing in my youth by taking him to the press viewing area at the meeting.
Just before the last race, O’Sullevan and a friend of his joined us up on the balcony.
A gust of wind blew an elderly chap’s Boater off in the foreground to the amusement of some by then drunken racegoers.
But, as my Father observed, O’Sullevan’s reaction was quite different: “Oh dear, poor chap’s lost his hat. Oh good, he’s retrieved it,” O’Sullevan quietly said.
To my Dad (and me) this marked O’Sullevan down as the very definition of a gentleman – i.e. a gentle man – and we were positively disposed to him from that day onwards.
But yes, I also heard he was prickly – and very precious about people calling him “Sir Peter” once knighted – so maybe our idols always do have feet of clay.
He went on far too long – arguably FIFTEEN YEARS too long, in fact – and made a litany of errors in that time, so it’s not hard to see why many younger TRFers don’t rate him.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"O’Sullevan was not the only one to stay on too long. Peter Alliss was commentating almost until he died but his calls in later years were not good.
Looking back on it, Dan Maskell – the great tennis commentator – deserves a lot of credit for quitting in the early 90s. He knew tennis and sports coverage was changing and he stood aside for the younger guard. A wise move.
At the time, I was a great fan of Sir Peter. But I think that was because he was so much better than the commentators of his era and did not have the social media criticising every slight mistake.
In reality, tbh I believe the overall standard of commentary has got much better since then. So if judging Sir Peter as he was at his peak against commentators of this better era… I’d have to put at least three ahead of him. Hoilles, Holt and Machin.
Value Is EverythingThink some are a tad unfair to “The Voice” Even if he made mistakes in his later years, still preferable to those that followed. If he’d finished any earlier we may have even been “treated” to Julian Wilson.
If you’re watching an old race on youtube etc, who do you want to be commentating? It’s just not the same with anyone else.
As for the trio Ginger names 2 having been coming up with boring puns for the last 20 years, pretty tedious and takes a lot from their commentaries for me. Something thankfully Sir Peter never resorted to. Simon Holt has definitely come up with some memorable commentaries, “3 Gold Cups”, “He’s clinging on” etc and has a great sounding voice as does the underrated Alan Howes.I agree with the overall standard being better nowadays. Probably because there is more racing and thanks to social media you get more chances to listen to yourself, read the commentaries below and improve your overall appearance on TV and in the booth.
Hoiles, Holt, Johnson and Cattermole are the ones I like the most. Machin would fit into that picture too, but sometimes he has a tendency to call for a photo even though it’s at least a neck. There is another good one from the north, sadly I forgot his name. He is at places like Catterick or Donny and it’s not Malcolm Tomlinson.
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