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Derek Thompson is apparently to commentate at Cheltenham this year!
I can’t believe anyone with knowledge of racing can make a decision to let this guy call races at the best meeting of the year. He seems to get more jobs in racing that anyone else working virtually every day.
Who is responsible for this decision?
I’ve heard these rumours as well but haven’t seen any official announcement. If it’s correct, I wonder who’s made way for him. Catt?
I’d have thought Tommo would be working for C4 all week…
For Thommo to be providing the racecourse commentary at Cheltenham, either the course or – far less likely, but not impossible – the sponsors must have expressed a preference to Racetech.
He wouldn’t be doing the lot, as Racetech always assign two commentators to the Festival who then alternate between races, but I’m not sure I’d have banked on a Hoiles – Thompson combination given how little Thommo is used by Cheltenham in general.
I’d like to see this writ large somewhere before believing it overly.
gc
Adoptive father of two. The patron saint of lower-grade fare. A gently critical friend of point-to-pointing. Kindness is a political act.
Great news if its true. I love Derek Thompson. Richard Hoiles is easily the best commentator going but Thommo and his catchphrases bring an extra edge tro the world of race course commentary. I just pray its true and not a nasty rumour.
If someone on here loves Thompson and his catch phrases, maybe its time for me to retire from racing.
Derek Thompson is apparently to commentate at Cheltenham this year!
I can’t believe anyone with knowledge of racing can make a decision to let this guy call races at the best meeting of the year. He seems to get more jobs in racing that anyone else working virtually every day.
Who is responsible for this decision?
Was Zoso’s idea
Ho, ho, ho, and THEY’RE OFF for the first race at the 2008 Cheltenham Festival, the Anglo Irish Bank Supreme Novices Hurdle – they’re all over the first safely and they’re not messing about here – running up the hill to the second flight, all over that one as well and going past the packed stands out into the country, what’s going to happen here.
They’re tightly packed – I’m looking for the favourite and he’s settled in mid division along the inside – jumping the fourth flight, it’s anybody’s race as they run up the hill on the far side in the brilliant sunshine at Cheltenham.
There’s one down there, watch out for the loose horse, he could cause trouble, running down the hill, there’s still plenty in with a chance and the favourite is cruising just behind the leaders. Over the second last, a mistake there by the leader, and now it’s a duel, over the last side by side, who’s going to win this, neck and neck to the line, THAT’S A PHOTO, that’s close, I’ll leave that one to the judge.
Is it possible to commentate on a 2M hurdle without naming a single horse? We may find out on March 11th …….
Still look on the bright side – if he’s in the commentary box, he’s not doing vox pop interviews with the crowd, or running alongside the winner down the horse walk asking ‘how does it feel’.
AP
Thats a good point AP. I have changed my mind give Hoiles all the commentary and let Thompson do his classic interviews. The Thompson inmterviews are absolute television gold and really make the festival what it is. If Thommo can only do one job then I would prefer the interviews as the festival would be lacking something if Thommo wasnt interviewing and running around the Cheltenham site.
Although racing is a serious sport there is always a place for humour as well and Thommo never lets me down.
Don’t forget AP that if some minor celebrity owns half a leg in one of the runners (ie Mystic Meg) he will mention that at least 5 times in the commentary.
God helps us if he is commentating on the bumper if Gold Award runs.
I have the spread on how many times he mentions that the horse is own by ‘her majesty’ at 7-9 and wouldn’t be rushing to sell!!!I often find i hardly listen to commentaries so shouldnt comment maybe, but is it just me or is Jim McGrath a bit hopeless?
I hate it when they suddenly up the excitment for no good reason… I pity their wives
Thommo is a pretty relaxed commentator ive often thought
Don’t believe everything you read Wallace, even on the Betfair forum. Think it would be nigh impossible for Tommo to commentate at Cheltenham, wasn’t it Hoiles, Cattermole and Johnson last year?
This must be due to cutbacks, as I’m convinced Thommo’s ‘commentary’ is made up of old soundbites from the 90’s!
What’s wrong with using Simon Holt & Richard Hoiles like most of the rest of the year? The two of them are perfectly good and I’d much rather have their commentary on this years’ Gold Cup played over for eternity than The Jokers’!
If it was a straight choice between “Tommo” and Mike “It’s Mike Lurcock!!” Cattermole doing the commentary at the Festival, I’d go for the former everytime. Despite the former’s many foibles, he is a reasonably accurate caller if he puts his mind to it, unlike the Cat, whose Gold Cup commentary could easily turn out like the following:
As they jump the final fence, it’s the rank outsider Fustrien du Paon for owner Fergus Wilson six lengths ahead and going further clear! This could be the biggest shock in the history of the Gold Cup, what an incredible story (five second pause) Kauto Star wins the Gold Cup again!
Tommo does great commentary, far more interesting and informative than the usual suspects. I think it’s just fashionable to slate him as he’s not that bad a commentator, actually one of the better ones out there so wouldn’t be as bad as you make out if he did commentate at Cheltenham. Like people have said on here before, he’d not have stayed in the business for so many years is he was as rubbish as everyone says. Give him a break for once.
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