Miles

Horizons
2009 March 10 08:42:30 
I am getting rather tired of Greg Miles and his descriptions each time Damien Oliver rides a winner.

Oliver is always 'lifting' a horse or 'carrying' the horse over the line.

Boring....
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13 Comments

Pinkline Jones

2009 March 12 09:15:38

1978 AG Hunter Cup I meant.

loges2

2009 March 12 07:15:32

Miles call of the Diva's third m/c win was a shocker, completely missed Diva coming through the gaps to hit the lead.
Completely missed his cue with his concocted the night before 'Champion becomes a Legend'.
10/10 on the cringe factor.

A good caller but no Bill Collins.
cheers loges.

bodsy

2009 March 11 22:37:28

mcg, that race still sends shivers down the spine... and to think Miles call added a little something special to the spectacle, described it perfectly, built it up and delivered the winner as a champion unreservedly... "the crowd roaring, go Lonhro go"

Pinkline Jones

2009 March 12 07:37:13

Yes Bodsy, Greg's Lonhro call was fantastic.

newbs

2009 March 11 10:44:05

I love posts about race callers. I reckon they do a mighty job. Not many mentions about Mark Shean on this thread but I think he has improved out of sight since he started. He puts excitement into his calls and he is also very accurate. He excells at carnival time. Have a listen to him over the Sydney carnival.
By the way, is it just me or has anyone else noticed the increased tendency by some callers to forget the name of a horse during the call. They will say something like "and then comes, on the outside, starting to make a run, in the blue and red colours comes, yes, it is So And So making a run". It seems to be increasing, not so much from the good ones though.

newbs

the urger

2009 March 11 07:55:39

Agree with Mcgarret.Miles is the best we got IMO.Loved his Redoutes Choice Tessta Rossa call in the Guineas and his Viewed by a nose verdict took some Kahunas to make in a MC.
It's sad to hear Ian Craig calling these days a bit like watching Matty Hayden in his last few test innings.
Alan Thomas is always good and Wayne Wilson is good to listen to when the horse he backed looks like winning.

Spartacus

2009 March 12 08:39:28

Agree with the urger, the Miles call of the 1999 Caulfield Guineas is my favourite ever. Not only did he make the call at the 800 "this could be set up for something special", the finish gies me goosebumps every time: "Redoute's digs, lunges....and wins!"

What a race.

Cheers
Spartacus

Gattonera

2009 March 11 01:15:07

Miles Olly cliches
if that be his greatest crime
out on bail for tea

concur with McG
sunline lonhro yalumba
try it on youtube


(great win by paddy in the Arkle... enjoying the coverage)

Timesman

2009 March 10 23:14:18

Horizons,

Our callers are the best in the world if you compare them to other countries. G Miles does a very good job, not perfect but more than acceptable.

What I think is extremely amusing is that they give tips. Why would any sober person request a tip from a racecaller. Just because they call them doesn't indicate they have any ability in form analysis (not that I have either).

Can you hold on a moment I just need to catch Ian's selections for the day.

The quickest way to the poorhouse is to listen to jockeys, the next is to listen to trainers and the very best way is to listen to racecallers.

What's even funnier is when they say "I am going for", like it was a footy match.

What do you like in the next, Ian?

Gee I love backing a winner.

Regards

Timesman

Maybach

2009 March 10 19:47:47

Darren McCauley (pardon the spelling) is my top pick.

Wayne Wilson is the worst by the length of the Eagle Farm straight.

Miles is good, AT is very good, Mark Shean fair, Ian Craig is ok.

Terry Bailey is great but only gets limited opportunities....

Wilks

2009 March 10 17:46:18

Can't help but think you guys are a bit tough.

Thing is Ollie regularly does get horses home in tight finishes, so G. Miles can only work with what he's got.

Personally I reckon he's a great caller, right up there with Bill Collins.

Having listened to some overseas callers (South Africa, USA, England) can I suggest we are blessed?

OK, so sometimes it might seem a bit corny, but tell the truth, ever been pi*%&$ed off by a caller when your favoured conveyance has got the choccies?

Plus, I'm old enough to remember the horror of Ronnie Papps!

mcgarret

2009 March 10 22:17:02

G dot Miles got the Strayan Cup photo wrong but at least he had a go all day on Saturday. He got every other cigarette paper photo right.

Top class caller and the best we've got.

I saw Lohnro's Strayan Cup replay the other day and his call was absolutely brilliant.

McGarret out

mitch_006

2009 March 11 12:55:02

Ian Craig is outdated and old, but i still love his calls

Pinkline Jones

2009 March 12 07:35:40

I'm with Mitch on this one. Sure, some of the Craigisms may be viewed as a bit cringeworthy and anachronistic, however, he's been a pretty good caller overall and has provided great service to the industry. Race calling is not an easy job.

The best Sydney caller in my time, however, has been Johnny Tapp. He is one of the best period. Great calling voice, brilliantly measured, colourful commentary with a sharp sense of humour.

But it's good to have the variety of offer that we do have around Australia although some of the calling borders on fingers down the blackboard.

Greg Miles does a great job in Melbourne - accurate and smooth although he can at the same time often come across as a bit Sao biscuit. However, I have preferred the melody of Bryan Martin's calls in the main. Martin has produced some wonderful calls over the years. His calls of the 1977 AG Hunter Cup and 2002 Yalumba Stakes were rippers just as two examples. Bert Bryant legendary of course; John Russell top caller. Blah blah etc.

I haven't heard any contemporary commentators of those aforementioned chaps' abilities. Most of them suffer from the problem whereby they sound as if they are trying to sound like a race caller but it's just not happening naturally. Some just have unfortunately poor natural voices.

PINKLINE JONES OBE

The Shu

2009 March 11 08:50:29

Nothing more irritating than endless references to "Raymond Shane" and "James A Cassidy"

For crying out loud we all know that Shane Dye's first name and Jim Cassidy's middle initial. This does not add colour or excitemnet to a race call.

Horizons

2009 March 11 08:08:20

Yes agreed,
I was by no means having a go at Miles on the whole, just his brown tongueing of Oliver that's all.

When there is a race finish, someone usually is going past someone, or someone is holding off someone else, just that each time Oliver is involved he is 'liiiiiiiiiifting' that one over the line.

Change the record!

Weight Special

2009 March 11 01:11:57

"Ian Craig or Pretty Boy as I named him years ago... Is and has been the most accurate and gifted Race caller this world has seen."

Trust the deluded Max to believe that.

He's awful and provides so little real info and so many cliches better off not listening and looking at the numbers.

bettowin

2009 March 10 21:45:12

You can debate about the quality of our horses on a world stage but never about the callers they are head and shoulders above the rest

Balciano

2009 March 10 20:00:51

Aah Ronnie Papps...a bigger Double Gin fan you would not meet(possibly both the horse and the drink.) The calls from his runs over the Adelaide Cup carnival as a 3 year are hysterical.

I love listening to Bill Collins even though he was a bit before my time. His calls of not only the big races but the Interdominions at Moonee Valley are in a league of their own.

Compare Ian Craig's call of the Northerly Freemason 2 horse war in the BMW to the Collins call of Our Waverley Star Bonecrusher in the 86 Cox Plate. Craig doesn't compare to Collins (in my humble opinion.)

nigeltufnel

2009 March 10 19:47:29

Talented bloke, big Richie. I addition ti his skills (?) as a form analyst, tipster and presenter, Mr callender has developed some form of extra sensory perception whereby from the granstand or lawn he can interpret what the jockeys are saying to each other and themselves midrace...."And James Arthur Casidy just cruised up on the outside and said........"

Spare me.

NIge

Todman

2009 March 10 19:31:38

When Ian Craig became a regular TV caller, he still persisted in calling the finishing result, well after passing the winning post not as the horses hit the line.



I guess he still does it to a degree, but I rarely see races with him as a caller.



Rex

2009 March 10 18:47:40

One of the best callers in Australia rarely calls (at the moment), and that would be young Matty Jones.

cheers

Anyone bagging Australian callers obviously has not travel outside of their own back yard, our callers are based around the world because they are so good.

cheers

dalyco

2009 March 10 17:00:53

None of them are as annoying as Richard Callander continually using the line " so-and-so... gets the biccies" ...

... change that record please!

Moimoi Eels

2009 March 10 15:57:15

Yes I did like Ian Craig's call of Octagonal's win at the "Farm". Gotta back up the Shu with regards to Wayne Wilson. He made a meal of the 2002 MC, not one of his best. But week in week out he and AT are consistent and give a good account of what is really happening in the run. I'd take the Brizy boys over the Syndey mob anyday.

Weight Special

2009 March 10 10:15:07

Are there any good race callers in aust?

Cliches galore repeated over and over

Ian Craig the worst ever

camel56

2009 March 10 13:32:10

Get a copy of a Ian Craig racecall from the 1970s. The guy used the same cliched lines 30 years ago that he does now.

Fat Back Pocket

2009 March 10 10:13:05

Wish he coulda lifted Damselfly over the farrking line!

mitch_006

2009 March 10 11:54:41

Totally agree

mrjones

2009 March 10 13:26:10

Very harsh - and Weight Special the fact that the top callers in the HK and the UK are Australian should tell you something.

Horizons

2009 March 10 14:31:07

Ian Craig's call of the Chipping Norton that Octagonal won is legendary, but in saying all that I agree, he is outdated and uses the same old lines.

maccamax

2009 March 10 17:26:38

Ian Craig or Pretty Boy as I named him years ago... Is and has been the most accurate and gifted Race caller this world has seen.
To even mention Collins in the same breath is an insult.
The Younger men have some way to go but are very good.
The very versatile and gifted man Rabs Warren was a good race caller and Ambrazolli
could do a reasonable job too.
Ken Howard was a performer more than a caller and rated low in the accuracy scale.
May have suited his time where the events werent visual to the Radio public.
Des Hoysted fair only
Brian Martin was up there with the best but a long way behind Craig.
Johnny Tapp just behind the placegetters .

The Shu

2009 March 10 13:21:32

Miles is good, I know he can go over the top with Ollie at times but etched himself in race calling folklore with "a champion becomes a legend" He will probably be the next race caller inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Brizzy blokes are good AT and WW. Wilson is unfairly maligned for his notorious Media Puzzle, Media Puzzle, Media Puzzle ......call in 2002. It was ordinary but he was trying to capture a special moment and it didn't quite work.

In Sydney the sooner Matthew Hill gets the top job the better.

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