Can you name the commentators? The Great Races on the Flat 1979-1988
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- čas přidán 21. 02. 2023
- This really brings back my formative years travelling the tracks in the 70s & 80s. Not so much the great horses and the heroes on their backs, but the race callers. The guys you wouldn't have heard in the TV or even in the betting shops. No pictures there just a drab monosylalabic extel commentary frequently ending with the words 'they've gawn past togevver'. No it's the likes of Michael Seth-Smith, Ken Grainger, Robin Gray, John Hickman (who narrates the video), Bruce Frend-James and for me the highlight Cloudsley Marsham - no not a Sussex Village - but an old Etonian who was one of the pioneers of racecourse commentary being on the original rosta in 1956 and a particular favorite of the Queen Mother. Great memories.
I would love to write every race out Noel but I dont have the time. The narrator is RTS and Racetech commentator John Hickman, who calls the 1988 Eclipse in this video. The other commentators are Michael Seth Smith, Bob Haynes, Cloudesley Marsham, John Penney, Robin Gray, Ken Grainger, Raleigh Gilbert. All of these commentators as you will know, were at the top of the tree at some point throughout their careers. I think im right in saying all bar Hickman are no longer with us. Another cracking video by the way!!
I got all rhose bar Bob Haynes. I have no recollection of him. Thank you George. I believe John Hickman is into photography these days
@@roderigodetriano Lived down near John Hanmer in Oxon if I remember Correctly Noel. Suprised you have never heard of Bob Haynes or RJ Haynes as he was described in early racecards. He commentrated on the Grand National for the BBC 1962-1968 along with the likes of Sir Po'S, Peter Montague Evans, Michael Seth Smith, Michael O'hehir and the extremely awful Tony Preston. Hickman must be nearly 80 now. Glad to hear he is still involved somewhere. He was my favourite commentator in the 80s90s/00s. He was still at the top of his game when he was released from the Racetech Roster in 2006. He did a few seasons on the P2P circuit for a few years after that. Mike Cattermole and Ian Bartlett more or less cover the old circuit of Newbury, Bath, Chepstow, Windsor and Cheltenham which Hickman did regularly.
I was in my element once on Northumberland Plate day. I was about 7 or 8, but as we left the house my dad would always say come on lets go and listen to Boring Bryan. This was in reference to Bryan Firth who covered the Yorkshire Northern and Scottish tracks. He was painful to listen to, with long lingering gaps in his delivery. The day was not be soured though as John Hickmans voice came over the tannoy much to my delight and probably half the regulars as well. With the advent of SIS, Firths commentaries were heard no more. Im sure your father will have came across all of the above in the press room at some point.
@@tullymurrytoff1497 I'm sure he would Giorgio. You have jogged my memory of Bob Haynes with mention of those 60s BBC National commentaries. I remember 'Lord' John Budden doing the Northern circuit. He too was rather slow and deliberate but with that wonderful voice it was rather like listening to JR Hartley (Yellow Pages)
@@roderigodetriano Indeed "Lord" John Budden who died last year, and like John Penney, used to love doing his racing in Scotland. Budden did have a nice delivery sometimes elongating his words. Budden made way for a reintroduction of Scot Doug Fraser who had been missing off the roster for a few years due to not scoring high enough with the commentators working group. Doug was to lose his life in tragic circumstances in 2010. Derek Thompson has always been a regular around the north. In the 70s and 80s Michael White and Harry Beeby were also to be heard up here. Harry was a director at Doncaster Bloodstock Sales. I think his son Henry now runs the show at DBS. Also in the 60s and 70s, Varlien Vyner Brooks was on the roster. He was "Mr Cartmel" along with doing Carlisle and the odd Market Rasen and Hexham meetings. He died last year as well. He had horses in training with Jimmy Moffat at Grange over Sands. There was always big celebrations when Varlien had winners at Cartmel. Paul Alster covered a few scottish meetings in the 80s as well before moving to Hong Kong. Ex Jockey Andrew Orkney had a season or two on the roster covering mainly Perth, Hexham and Ayr.
Going back to Bob Haynes, I think his son was the Commentator Nick Haynes. I am sure i read somewhere young Haynes was relieved of his duties after calling the wrong winner home one day at one of the Southern meetings(The Lingfield Derby Trial springs to mind for some reason.)
We are going into real sad b@%t@÷d territory now Noel 😁
@@tullymurrytoff1497 Yep, "Lord" John was on the roster from 1981 to 1998 before making way for Doug Fraser, the latter readmitted after losing out in 1996-8 following the merger of RCA and SIS teams.
The latest date on which I've seen Varlien carded to commentate was Charlie Hall Chase day at Wetherby in November 1984 (abandoned, IIRC), though I don't know how soon after that he left the roster. Jonathon Turner, his natural replacement as a northwest-based commentator, was already active by 1986, if not before.
I'd love to see any racecard evidence of Paul Alster having called at a racecourse, having to date only heard him on SIS footage. Michael White, Nick Haynes, Mike O'Sullivan, Lionel Hampden and Alexander Csaky would be others active between the 1970s and 1990s (fleetingly in some instances) whom I've never heard.
Haynes junior only appears between 1987 and 1989 in the racecards I've seen to date. He was used as a fourth commentator on the Friday of the 1989 Grand National meeting (behind messrs Goode, Penney (also used by Radio 2 during that meeting) and Holt, which must have been a highlight. I've read the same rumour as you as regards his Derby Trial mishap!
Andy Orkney was on the Racetech roster from 2000-2005, but commentated in point-to-points for a long while either side of that, his last engagement coming at Sheriff Hutton in January 2020. I helped him out a bit latterly at those engagements with betting updates, etc. - a really nice fellow.
01:12 06/06/1979 Epsom (Derby) Michael Seth-Smith
02:06 dd/06/1979 Ascot (St James's Palace Stakes) Cloudesley Marsham
03:05 dd/06/1980 Ascot (Gold Cup) Michael Seth-Smith
04:06 dd/07/1980 Goodwood (Goodwood Cup) Ken Grainger
04:54 30/07/1981 Goodwood (Goodwood Cup) Cloudesley Marsham
06:09 03/06/1981 Epsom (Derby) Michael Seth-Smith
07:06 25/07/1981 Ascot (King George VI...) Michael Seth-Smith
08:06 16/06/1981 Ascot (St James's Palace Stakes) Ken Grainger
09:07 29/07/1981 Goodwood (Sussex Stakes) Ken Grainger
10:07 dd/07/1981 Newmarket (July Cup) Bob Haynes
11:24 08/07/1982 Newmarket (July Cup) Robin Gray
12:16 22/06/1984 Ascot (King's Stand Stakes) Michael Seth-Smith
13:22 27/07/1982 Goodwood (Stewards' Cup) Ken Grainger
14:17 28/04/1983 Newmarket (1000 Guineas) John Penney and Robin Gray
15:41 01/06/1983 Epsom (Derby) Michael Seth-Smith
16:41 dd/06/1983 Ascot (King Edward VII) Ken Grainger
17:44 dd/06/1983 Ascot (Hardwicke Stakes) Ken Grainger
18:46 02/07/1983 Sandown (Coral-Eclipse) Robin Gray
19:43 07/07/1984 Sandown (Coral-Eclipse) Ken Grainger
20:45 28/07/1984 Ascot (King George VI...) Robin Gray
21:44 15/09/1984 Doncaster (St Leger) Raleigh Gilbert
22:48 05/05/1984 Newmarket (2000 Guineas) Ken Grainger and Robin Gray
23:50 19/06/1984 Ascot (St James' Palace Stakes) Michael Seth-Smith
24:46 dd/07/1984 Goodwood (Sussex Stakes) Ken Grainger
25:48 20/06/1984 Ascot (Coronation Stakes) Michael Seth-Smith
26:50 02/05/1985 Newmarket (1000 Guineas) Robin Gray
27:45 08/06/1985 Epsom (Oaks) Michael Seth-Smith
28:48 14/09/1985 Doncaster (St Leger) Raleigh Gilbert
29:55 04/05/1985 Newmarket (2000 Guineas) Robin Gray
30:36 05/06/1985 Epsom (Derby) Michael Seth-Smith
31:39 27/07/1985 Ascot (King George VI...) Robin Gray
32:41 20/08/1985 York (Benson & Hedges Cup) Raleigh Gilbert
33:42 19/10/1985 Newmarket (Champion Stakes) Robin Gray
34:43 06/07/1985 Sandown (Coral-Eclipse) Ken Grainger
35:43 11/07/1985 Newmarket (July Cup) Ken Grainger
36:11 20/06/1986 Ascot (King's Stand Stakes) Ken Grainger
37:12 07/06/1986 Epsom (Oaks) Robin Gray
38:21 03/05/1986 Newmarket (2000 Guineas) Ken Grainger and Robin Gray
39:22 04/06/1986 Epsom (Derby) Robin Gray
40:31 05/07/1986 Sandown (Coral-Eclipse) Robin Gray
41:31 26/07/1986 Ascot (King George VI...) Robin Gray
42:31 18/06/1986 Ascot (Coronation Stakes) Ken Grainger
43:33 30/07/1986 Goodwood (Sussex Stakes) Raleigh Gilbert
44:35 18/08/1987 York (Matchmaker Stakes) Raleigh Gilbert
45:36 17/10/1987 Newmarket (Champion Stakes) Robin Gray
46:40 30/04/1987 Newmarket (1000 Guineas) Robin Gray
47:33 09/07/1987 Newmarket (July Cup) Robin Gray
48:34 03/06/1987 Epsom (Derby) Robin Gray
49:36 25/07/1987 Ascot (King George VI...) Robin Gray
50:38 04/07/1987 Sandown (Coral-Eclipse) Robin Gray
51:40 02/07/1988 Sandown (Coral-Eclipse) John Hickman
52:41 23/07/1988 Ascot (King George VI...) Robin Gray
53:46 04/06/1988 Epsom (Oaks) Robin Gray
54:51 10/09/1988 Doncaster (St Leger) Raleigh Gilbert
55:56 15/10/1988 Newmarket (Champion Stakes) Robin Gray
Superb job. Thank you!!
Better you than me Jeremy.
Raleigh Gilbert, , Ken Grainger, Micheal White, Lionel Hampden, John Cotterell, Bob Haynes
Got 3 right
Michael White wasn't in that league, was he? I remember he was nicknamed 'The Vampire', because he only got the evening meetings in the late eighties.
That was the time that SIS got a big say in things. Many of the names in this video suddenly disappeared from the rota like snow in the sun.
@@Deweycheatumnhowe Indeed you are correct Dewey in that Michael White did often do night meetings. The same can be said that once upon a time you were getting nearer the exit door when this happened. John Penney and Raleigh Gilbert were two good examples of this towards the end, often being shunted off to the likes of Wolverhampton or Towcester or Southwell. Gilbert and Penney were the first two commentators heard on SIS, Gilbert at Chester and Penney at I think Ripon.
@@tullymurrytoff1497 Raleigh Gilbert and John Penney were top notch