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Aussie Jim McGrath will do his last UK racecourse commentary in the UK at Ascot on 7th September.
He has announced his retirement from the rosta.
There is no doubt that he changed the face of commentating in the UK and, at his peak he was amongst, if not, the best commentators we’ve ever seen.
It’s been said many times he was a breath of fresh air.
As one commentator once said to me though, it does get more difficult as you get older and like Peter Bromley and, to a lesser extent Sir Peter, I think Jim has gone on a few years longer than he should have done.
I think it’s better to walk away at, or near, the top of the game and I would rather remember his commentaries from the 90’s early noughties than some of his more recent ones.
He will still be working for ATR and the Telegraph
I still love his commentary of Sea The Stars Arc:
"He’s getting up on the inside…he’s got six or seven lengths to make up…he’ll have to be a champion…He’s a champion I reckon, he’s got the run now in the centre…he’s out after the leader…perfection in equine form"
Happy retirement Jim from one Aussie to another
When he started he was unique and the total opposite to the staid old commentators that were around then. I was always glad when I went racing if he was the caller as he added to the day, unfortunately over the past few years the standards slipped and he is right to call it a day.
Aussie Jim McGrath will do his last UK racecourse commentary in the UK at Ascot on 7th September.
He has announced his retirement from the rosta.
There is no doubt that he changed the face of commentating in the UK and, at his peak he was amongst, if not, the best commentators we’ve ever seen.
It’s been said many times he was a breath of fresh air.
Really?
Suppose everyone has their own opinion Paul.
I thought as a commentator he was OK, no more than that.Coming out with the same words in most races. Holt and Hoiles at least two grades higher (imo); in fact you could say Jim was always "giving them a fair start".
Value Is EverythingWhen he started he was unique and the total opposite to the staid old commentators that were around then. I was always glad when I went racing if he was the caller as he added to the day, unfortunately over the past few years the standards slipped and he is right to call it a day.
I totally agree with you Tony, like you I often hoped J A McGrath would be the commentator when I went racing. At his peak he was an excellent commentator.
Aussie Jim McGrath will do his last UK racecourse commentary in the UK at Ascot on 7th September.
He has announced his retirement from the rosta.
There is no doubt that he changed the face of commentating in the UK and, at his peak he was amongst, if not, the best commentators we’ve ever seen.
It’s been said many times he was a breath of fresh air.
Really?
Suppose everyone has their own opinion Paul.Yes really and I think you’ll find it’s a majority view – at least it is in the world of the racing media and amongst most of the current and recent crop of commentators.
If I was put on the spot and asked to give my 3 most memorable commentaries they would be Graham Goodes ‘Dancing Brave’ Derby, ‘Dawn runs’ Gold cup and Jim Mcgraths ‘Sea the Stars’ Arc,all 3 had something you dont get in everyday commentaries and that is personal emotion from the caller.Jim Mcgrath may have called the ‘Duke of Marmalades’ King George too,that was another brilliant call as the commentator could see that the Duke was not for surrendering!Jim had his own style and in what is without doubt a nightmare of a job to do he did it well,I’ve tried doing it in front of the TV and all I’m interested in is my horse,funnily enough I could always tell when Richard Hoiles had backed Luca Cumanis ‘Swop’!
There is no doubt that he changed the face of commentating in the UK and, at his peak he was amongst, if not, the best commentators we’ve ever seen.
Well I missed that bit – I would describe him as average at best. Mind, I would also say the same about Peter O’Sullevan which probably renders me incapable of having an opinion in the minds of his legion of admirers.
Although he is yet to plumb Scahillian depths, McGrath is heading that way and it’s a sensible move to call it a day. He’s always been absolutely tailed off behind Simon Holt. And Richard Hoiles is several furlongs ahead of Holt.
Interesting to see McGrath continues in his job at The Telegraph. Whilst his commentaries may be modest, his journalism is genuinely poor. Rigidly ‘establishment’, totally uncritical and completely unwilling to address any form of controversy. Even for The Telegraph, that’s pretty absurd in this day and age.
Mike
I liked Jim McGrath’s style. Okay, he may have stumbled over his words and forgot horses’ names in recent years, but I always thought he brought an air of excitement to his commentaries.
I agree about his Sea The Stars Arc commentary. Epic !
Seeing as comparisons are already being made, I would take him over Simon Holt every day of the week.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Used to like him but grew tired of his commentary years ago. If i had a pound for every time he said " back in the field " when he couldn’t remember the name of a horse.
And calling Joseph O’Brien " Vincent " during the Queen Anne.
However, i still think he’s better than Cattermole. I’ll never forget backing Khyber Kim on it’s debut for Henderson and Cattermole only using the correct name in the last 50 yards. I think the horse he was calling home was Levantine
" Levantine takes it up with 2 furlongs to go and is clear….Levantine going to cause an upset here….and Khyber Kim wins "
No apology, nothing.
How do you confuse a Henderson horse with a 150-1 outsider ?Anyway, best of luck Jim. Hope you like it back in the field…
He may have been everyone’s favourite, but he is predominantly the voice i associate with my childhood racing memories and was a bit of a hero of mine, being a part timer myself.
Listen to him from 5 out onwards in the 2003 Welsh National. I still get goosebumps. Really good stuff. And his 2001 Grand National work is one of my favourite bits of commentary.
Skip to 6:57…
I’m always baffled by the claims on here that he can no longer cut the mustard. I’d rather Aussie Jim’s passion and exuberance than either Hoiles’s or Holt’s monotonic boring tones.
I think the most important thing with calling a race is accuracy, and for a few years his hasn’t quite been there, not glaring errors, just slightly misreading how a race was panning out to the extent you’re rechecking the colours to make sure which horse is actually yours. But generally, I think racing is better served with it’s commentators than football or F1 (Crofty aside).
I don’t think it is a case of Jim McGrath being poor; just not a leader in his field. From what I’ve seen I do believe he’s a better journalist than commentator.
Value Is EverythingThink he’s jumped before he was pushed, he was under review last year and there’s been no improvement since, as anyone who’s heard him at Salisbury & Newton Abbott this week would realise. He had them "settling down" 3 times in one race and one "settling down" was only 3 furlongs from the finish. He’s been abysmal for years.
When he first appeared on the UK scene he was a genuine breathe of fresh air – new phrases, great accent and a sharp spotter. At the time he seemed the obvious replacement for Sir Peter O’Sullevan (who is peerless in my opinion). Talk about a tough act to follow but McGrath did it well.
The accent remains but sadly the sharpness has dulled and it’s probably a good decision to retire. I quite enjoy some of his writing and now that he is concentratin on that side of it I’m sure he has plentry to offer.
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