Mark McNamara - how did we let him get away??

[David Summers]

Anyone watching the fine broadcast on Sky2 yesterday surely must be scratching their heads wondering how NZ could have poached Mark McNamara away from Australia.

Certainly one of the finest harness callers I have heard in my (rather long) life. Was a brilliant caller here before going to NZ and it was a real shock when we lost him a couple of years back.

There was a real gap when Mark left NSW , but thank goodness Fred Hastings has filled the gap to some extent. I was worried that the high-pitched , often inaccurate , squawking parrot Kevin Thompson would take over , but sanity ruled.

Kevin , you've done your best :-( Now , to use a well worn Gough Whitlam election expression from the 1970's , "IT'S TIME". Time to retire ........ please ....... soon. Have a long and happy retirement away from race calling. I just can't take listening to the Newcastle trots anymore while you are the caller.

[mango]

There's a post Fred Hasting's 16-4-11 you will see some comments there.

[Zipper]

Mark is a good caller and is a loss to Australian Harness Racing if you look at that way.

That being said we still have a host of great callers. I love Craig Rails passion, Dan Malecki is a pro, Fred is solid as well. Chris Barsby seems well regarded in QLD.

Plenty of talent indeed!!

[David Summers]

Yes , indeed we are very lucky in Australia. Did anyone have the misfortune to hear that dreadful caller of the Elliplope heats and final from Sweden on Sky last weekend.

Absolutely hopeless. The worst race calling I can recall hearing. In one heat he had the leader by a couple of lengths into the straight as the horse running second. No enthusiasm at all in the call and seemed frankly disinterested :-(

He should spend some time with Dan Malecki. He can make a Kilmore M0 sound like a heat of an Interdominion. I love his professionalism and passion in his calls.

[triplev123]

It was a one off but for a touch of brilliance I'll always remember a short, sharp piece Roger Huston's call from years ago, a minor race during an Adelaide ID carnival I think it was? "The Messiah...nailed to the rail". Inspired stuff that. :D:D:D:D:D

[Flashing Red]

Jimmy Jacques - there's a possum in the box! Gets me every time :P

[David Summers]

I think you might mean David Fowler at Albion Park. What a classic call. Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNqQP6oNxG0

Speaking of Jimmy Jacques what about his legendary "Hoarse Whisperer" call http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHdapW_utus

[triplev123]

The best one I ever heard was replayed on radio here in Sydney quite a few years ago now.
It was a fella from Melbourne who's name escapes me at present but it'll come. Anyway, he used to call the TB's and was a D-E-S-P-E-R-A-D-O punter. You could tell which horse he had backed in a race by the way he kept wrapping it up in the call...''so & so travelling beautifully" and so on.
Anyway, this day the guy telling the story said the caller had really opened the shoulders and had the rent, the grocery money and then some on a short shot in, of all things, a Hurdles/Jumps race. The caller launches into his usual wrap of the horse carrying his hard earned with " so & so is clearing them with ease as they come to the mile marker" etc etc and then you hear a moment of silence followed by considerable commotion in the box and on the microphone and then the sheer terror in his voice as he is overcome with grief and shouts "Oh my GOD! The Bastard's fallen!".
Hahahahahahahaha. When I heard it for the first time I fell about the place laughing. I wish I could track that piece of audio down. Anyone that has had a punt & had circumstance rob them of their upcoming hot meal or has had to take Shanks Pony home rather than catch a Taxi would know what I'm talking about.

[Flashing Red]

I think you might mean David Fowler at Albion Park. What a classic call. Here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNqQP6oNxG0

Speaking of Jimmy Jacques what about his legendary "Hoarse Whisperer" call http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHdapW_utus

My mistake. Jimmy Jacques is my favorite caller but you are right, it is Fowler. I joined the Possum in the Box Facebook group, lmao!

[Diago]

It was a one off but for a touch of brilliance I'll always remember a short, sharp piece Roger Huston's call from years ago, a minor race during an Adelaide ID carnival I think it was? "The Messiah...nailed to the rail". Inspired stuff that. :D:D:D:D:D


yes i remember that race like it was yesterday, on the 15th of March 1997 .. $7k race, just beaten by Repaki Lad NZ, still waiting to get another one like him

[Don Corleone]

One of the best I have heard was, many years ago on shortwave radio I heard a commentator say................"With four furlongs to go Aspire Tee is still in front. How the hell it is, I will never know but alas it is. Doesn't say much for the rest of them!" Then on the corner the horse was still in front and he said, "Can you believe this ramble! They still can't get past this thing!" Anyway, the horse finally finished out of the first 4. From what I was told the commentator never called live again. All of us who heard him thought he was the best we ever heard.

[triplev123]

A former Tassie caller lost his cool one day when I was down there...I reckon that he, along with half the people on course that day, must have really unloaded on a 'promising 1st starter', pretty sure it was a 3yo actually but that's beside the point. Anyway, he called it bowling along, doing it easy in front etc & then when the push came on with a 1/4 to go it started to falter and inside of the final 16th it was in full reverse, the entire field went by and finished last. Old mate did his usual run down from the winner through placings and then back through the field until he got to the extremely well supported but dismal fav. whereupon he lined up on it with "...and someone had better go get (whatever its name was) a saucer of milk...'cause it's a CAT!" He was replaced soon afterwards but it was one of the funniest things I've ever heard on a racetrack. The owners did not find it funny however, no surprises there.