- This topic has 47 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 1 month ago by
.
-
Posts
-
To be honest, I mainly left out post-2002 because I didn’t want to have to list a load of Leicester details from 2004-06, which all seemed pretty samey.
No doubt most of the Leicester meetings involved would have featured Graham Goode as the commentator. Leicester was his local course as he lived very nearby at Tilton-on-the-Hill.
John Rickman reincarnated but they forgot the brain.
He was so popular he could mess up 10 times in one show and the producer would still forgive him.
Great character.I’m wondering whether Tanya Stevenson is actually a reincarnation of John Rickman.
She messes up at least 10 times in every show, especially the Morning Line, and definitely seems to be forgiven by the producer every time.
She has also inherited Rickman’s bumbling, embarrassingly tongue-tied and amateur style of delivery.And she seems to have inherited John Rickman’s trilby hats. Previously, I thought the much-favoured grey felt hat she wears had been donated by the estate of the late Rod Hull but perhaps it has actually come from John Rickman…
Don’t think Tanya would qualify as a "great character" though.
John Rickman reincarnated but they forgot the brain.
He was so popular he could mess up 10 times in one show and the producer would still forgive him.
Great character.I’m wondering whether Tanya Stevenson is actually a reincarnation of John Rickman.
She messes up at least 10 times in every show, especially the Morning Line, and definitely seems to be forgiven by the producer every time.
She has also inherited Rickman’s bumbling, embarrassingly tongue-tied and amateur style of delivery.And she seems to have inherited John Rickman’s trilby hats. Previously, I thought the much-favoured grey felt hat she wears had been donated by the estate of the late Rod Hull but perhaps it has actually come from John Rickman…
Don’t think Tanya would qualify as a "great character" though.
Did Tanya turn you down when you asked her out for a date or something?
You certainly have some bitter antipathy towards her.
Do you not have an off or mute button on your TV if she annoys you that much?
Do you not have an off or mute button on your TV if she annoys you that much?
Luckily, the fast forward button proves invaluable when watching recordings of Channel 4 racing and the Morning Line. I never watch it live….
Might be one of the greatest threads i have ever seen
Here a few names from my exclusively Aintree collection. I try to track down and collect Becher Chase racecards.
21.11.92: Aintree –
Graham Goode
19.11.94: Aintree –
Graham Goode
23.11.96: Aintree –
Mike Cattermole
24.11.02: Aintree –
Johnathon Turner
23.11.03: Aintree –
John Hunt
21.11.04: Aintree –
Mark Johnson
19.11.06: Aintree –
Stewart Machin
23.11.08: Aintree –
Richard Hoiles
I also have cards from the 1981 Grand National and the infamous 1993 "renewal". Unfortunately the 81 card doesn’t state who was the course commentator that day, but the 1993 race was called by Graham Goode and Simon Holt!
Peter h,
That list sent a shiver of discomfort as that Becher Chase was probably one of my worst calls. Im pretty sure I decked Clan Royal a couple of times and then seem to recall making a mess of an epic finish (amberleigh house btn an inch or two.) early days of in running back then, if at all. God knows the abuse I would have got nowadays. Remember ringing Richard Hoiles on the way home for support. Long journey home that! Funny to see they didnt ask me back, happy days.
The 1981 Grand National itself, like all GNs back then, wouldn’t have had a course commentary as such. They’d simply have broadcast the BBC radio commentary (that year: Bromley, Seth-Smith, O’Hehir
pere
, Penney) over the PA. Watch YT uploads of old Nationals and you can sometimes hear the distinctive voices of the radio commentators (esp. Bromley) in the background, where normally you’d hear the course commentator.
Races run over the Melling course would have had a course commentary, though.
A few more:
Doncaster, 25th May 1992 – Bruce Friend-James
Doncaster, 3rd May 1993 – Simon Holt
Doncaster (evening), 11th June 1993 – Mark Johnson
Doncaster (evening), 26th June 1993 – Simon Holt
Doncaster, 21st July 1993 – Simon HoltA mere two to add to the list at the moment.
31/10/1990 Musselburgh (Edinburgh at the time) Dave Smith
14/06/1995 Hamilton Richard HoilesPeter h,
That list sent a shiver of discomfort as that Becher Chase was probably one of my worst calls. Im pretty sure I decked Clan Royal a couple of times and then seem to recall making a mess of an epic finish (amberleigh house btn an inch or two.) early days of in running back then, if at all. God knows the abuse I would have got nowadays. Remember ringing Richard Hoiles on the way home for support. Long journey home that! Funny to see they didnt ask me back, happy days.I remember that well, it’s hard to believe it’s nearly 10 years ago. Don’t forget the sun was in a terrible position that day, I remember as the ATR bloke handed over you said "I’m going to need some help here mate", so it was obvious you couldn’t see enough.
Surprised they didn’t ask you back after that, didn’t you do any more Grand Nationals for the course?
I was there that day too! A mere 11 years old
Wouldn’t beat yourself up over that call. Even when i watch the race today; it’s difficult to make out certain runners as they go out into the country.Interesting subject, here are some from my collection
Kempton 3/11/88 – R.Gilbert
Kempton 20/1/89 – J.Hickman
Fontwell 11/4/89 – B.Friend-James
Epsom 7/6/89 – R.Gray/J.Hickman
Lingfield 22/7/89 – N.Haynes
Southwell 5/8/89 – J.Budden
Market Rasen 13/10/89 – J.Penney
Ascot 16/12/89 – J.McGrath
Ascot 12/1/90 – J.McGrath
Sandown 10/3/90 – R.Gray
Epsom 6/6/90 – R.Gray/J.Hickman
Uttoxeter 18/10/90 – J.Branfoot
Sandown 9/3/91 – R.Gray
Aintree 4-5-6/4/91 – G.Goode/S.Holt
Sandown 27/4/91 – R.Gray
Fontwell 27/5/91 – M.O’Sullivan (I believe he was a New Zealander)
Lingfield 10/8/91 – J.Hickman
Stratford 7/9/91 – I.Mackenzie
Kempton 31/10/91 – J.Hickman
Lingfield 12/12/92 – R.Gilbert
Lingfield 10/12/94 – M.CattermoleLingfield 22/7/89 – N.Haynes
Fontwell 27/5/91 – M.O’Sullivan (I believe he was a New Zealander)
I believe Nick Haynes was the son of the highly regarded Bob Haynes, who was one of the top commentators of his generation and pops up often in Robin Carmody’s lists.
Nick had much lesser success and famously attracted bad headlines when calling home the wrong winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial many years ago.
He went on to become a racecourse judge. I assume he is also related to the starter, Peter Haynes.
Mike O’Sullivan had a brief but ill-starred sojourn from New Zealand as a guest commentator. I was there one August Bank Holiday meeting at Huntingdon when he was the commentator and he did at least entertain me with phrases like "he flew that one like a bird" and "he flew that one like a gazelle".
I heard him in the betting shop another day at Brighton but I believe he made so many mistakes at a Flat meeting one day that he was quietly relieved of the other meetings he was due to commentate on at other courses.
I remember Mike O’Sullivan calling the wrong one home at Worcester and apologised before the next race. I liked him as a caller, as you say he had a nice term of phrase.
Sandown Park, 31st March 1965 – Michael Seth-Smith
Catterick, 21st October 1967 – Lionel Hampden
Catterick, 20th January 1968 – Lionel Hampden
Wetherby, 9th March 1968 – Lionel Hampden
Sandown Park, 16th March 1968 – Cloudesley Marsham
Sandown Park, 9th November 1968 – Ken Grainger
Wetherby, 15th October 1969 – Bryan Firth
Sandown Park, 8th November 1969 – Cloudesley Marsham
Catterick, 11th December 1971 – Bryan Firth
Nottingham, 21st February 1972 – John Penney
Market Rasen, 3rd April 1972 – Harry Beeby
Fontwell Park, 15th August 1973 – Bob Haynes
Haydock Park, 29th August 1974 – Michael Seth-Smith (Harry Beeby was auctioneer)
Haydock Park, 9th August 1975 – Ken Grainger
Newbury, 16th July 1977 – Michael Seth-Smith
Newton Abbot, 1st August 1977 – John Cotterell
Newton Abbot, 14th September 1978 – Bob Haynes
Fakenham, 23rd December 1978 – Ken GraingerFrom past commentators to present day ones and I have just been watching the replays of Sedgefield from Tuesday.
Young shaver Gareth Topham did a very good job commentating at the meeting and is a very good addition to the ranks.
He has a good, easy-on-the ear voice and did a very competent, fluent job. He gets bonus points for actually taking the trouble to find out which of the runners were fillies or mares, instead of just saying "it".
By repeatedly referring to last-race winner Izzini as "she" and "her" instead of "it" and "its", young Gareth will have horrified John Blance and Darren Owen.
Gareth did, however, show the continuing malign influence of Jim McGrath by repeatedly using Jim’s favourite phrase of "further back in the field" and a variation of it, "further back in the pack", at every opportunity. It seems to be compulsory for every commentator these days.
As would be expected Raleigh Gilbert features regularly on Robin’s labour of love, so this seems an appropriate thread on which to recount a rather pleasant tale concerning the fruity-voiced one
Holidaying in Devon recently I paid a visit to Compton Castle near Torquay, the ancestral home of the Gilbert family, whose most famous member was the Elizabethan adventurer Sir Humphrey Gilbert, half-brother of Sir Walter Raleigh
Now, I’ve long wondered whether Raleigh Gilbert was – as his name certainly suggested – a member of this family, and as Geoffrey Gilbert the current incumbent of Compton was mingling with the visitors I decided to ask him: "yes he was my brother" he beamed, and proceeded to wax lyrical about him, his exploits and sad circumstances of his death
I got the impression Raleigh was something of a loose cannon and the black sheep of the family, having been ‘banished’ to Kenya by his father as a young man (where his interest in racing evolved); his innumerable girlfriends; his chain-smoking; and his generally rather louche and dissolute lifestyle, which may well have contributed to the undiagnosed stomach ulcer that killed him
Geoffrey was nonetheless very proud of Raleigh, in particular his attention to detail when preparing for his course commenatries – "never made a mistake you know" and the fact he called at every racecourse – "Cartmel was the last one"
Oh and he was definitely ‘Rawley’ not ‘Rarley’ nor – heaven forbid – ‘Ralley’
A splendid pile Compton Castle with a nice rose garden, ancient apple orchard and manicured pear espaliers. Owned by the National Trust, managed by the Gilbert family-in-residence and well worth visiting if you’re down that way
http://teachout.co.uk/images/333/Compton%20Castle%20152759.jpg
http://www.dreamstime.com/compton-castle-in-devon-thumb16722688.jpg
Holidaying in Devon recently I paid a visit to Compton Castle near Torquay
Geoffrey was nonetheless very proud of Raleigh, in particular his attention to detail when preparing for his course commentaries – "never made a mistake you know" and the fact he called at every racecourse – "Cartmel was the last one"Thanks very much for this insight, Drone.
I think I’m right in saying that the wake for Raleigh after his funeral was at Compton Castle.It certainly looks an impressive place. No wonder Raleigh was always keen to go back there.
He always opted to commentate at nearby Newton Abbot on Boxing Day (apart from a few years when he reached the top spot in the pecking order and was needed for Kempton’s King George meeting).
He once said: "I’d rather not work at all but, if I have to, I’d sooner it was Newton Abbot." The same went for Exeter on New Year’s Day.
Raleigh’s other brother is Judge Francis Gilbert QC. He was the resident judge at Plymouth Crown Court for six years but left recently to become resident judge at Exeter Crown Court.
He practised as a barrister in Exeter and is one of the few judges on the South West circuit qualified to try murder cases.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.