It is Kentucky Derby Week in the USA, and Churchill Downs is abuzz with fervor as horses are doing their final preparations for the “Run for the Roses”. Standing at the rail watching the big races horses being put through their paces is Travis Stone. He is the commentator who brings the big race to life for the one hundred and seventy thousand punters who pack the racecourse on Derby Day as well as the millions who watch and listen to the race on Social Media.
Who is the Best Horse Racing Commentators – The answer to this question is not as straightforward as it may seem. If you ask an American Punter, they will surely say Travis Stone or Trevor Denman, in the United Kingdom the Four H’s, Hunt Hoiles, Hannon, and Holt could be considered the best in the world whereas in South Africa recently departed to the United Arab Emirates, Alister Cohen is considered one of the best young and aspiring commentators.
What makes a Commentator to be considered as World Class
- A Pleasant Voice – It might sound strange, but a pleasant voice makes the punter want to listen to the race call. Clarity, pleasant, and being easy to listen to, are important attributes for a commentator who wants to become one of the best in the world.
- Bringing the Race to Life – This is a massive attribute that only the best can achieve. As they jump, a commentator should give as much information about each runner as possible as every punter will have bet on each horse in the race. They will then discuss the pace of the race, ensuring that as many runners as possible receive a mention as the middle of the race develops. The pitch of the commentator should start to increase as the horses enter the straight and the race reaches its crescendo.
- End of the Race – The top commentators always know where the finishing line is and even in a close finish will be able to intuitively call a horse a winner even if there is a nostril between the two horses crossing the finishing line as one. Clarity of the voice, as well as a clear and concise summary of the finish, is massively important as punters will always want to know who has finished in the top four and in which order.
Horse Racing Commentators – Planning for the Day
Racehorse Commentators prepare days in advance for a race day and the really big days such as Royal Ascot, the Kentucky Derby, or the Dubai World Cup. The background preparations of printing colour sheets, making notes, establishing costs, and writing down the draws of especially the favoured horses will all be completed the night before.
In terms of memorizing the colours, except especially difficult races, will only be done as the jockeys enter the parade ring or paddock or the runners are on their way down to the start. Short-term retention is the key because if one owner has numerous runners on the card, the brain may not correlate correctly.
Horse Racing Commentators – Thinking on their Feet
Practice and concentration are vital in a Horse Racing Commentators arsenal. Precision and rhythm, as well as making every word count, a diverse vocabulary as opposed to stock, repeating words are vital elements for the best commentators.
The best commentators are always mindful of the main storyline but do not sentences that frequently seem forced and instead are comfortable and trust themselves to utilise the correct words for when an unusual circumstance occurs.
While commentating might be a lonely endeavor, the commentator is very much part of a team when it comes to people behind the scenes giving camera shots and the director’s decisions as to what to show at what time.
The men and women behind the camera are also multitalented and think on their feet when it comes to which shots and which angles to display and in conjunction with the Director work as a team to enhance the commentators’ Story.
World Class Commentators – United Kingdom
The four H’s are widely considered the best in the United Kingdom. Richard Houiles, Simon Holt, John Hunt, and Jerry Hanon are the quintessential voices of horse racing in England and its surrounds. They tell the stories that punters want to hear, engrossing the television and social media horse racing fraternity with their smooth, clear commentaries across all the top racecourses in the United Kingdom.
World Class Commentators – The United States of America
Travis Stone, the voice of the Kentucky Derby since 2015, is considered one of the best in the USA. He is the voice that brings together one of the Races of the Year, the “Run for the Roses” every year, the voice that one hundred and seventy thousand listen to on course as well as countless millions across the globe on Social Media.
World Class Commentators – From South Africa to Dubai
Hitherto relatively unknown South African Alister Cohen is fast becoming one of the best young commentators in the World. Raised in Durban and commentating on the racetracks in Gauteng in South Africa, his calm and efficient commentating style soon made him one of the best in South Africa.
In 2021 he accepted the job of being the Voice of Dubai for the United Arab Emirates Horseracing Season, via a rigorous selection process. He is now based in Dubai, where he commentates on every meeting, the pinnacle being the Dubai World Cup Meeting at the end of March 2022.
Horse Racing Commentators – Telling the Story without Frills
Whether it’s the four H’s in the United Kingdom, the voice of the Kentucky Derby, or the Dubai World Cup, what the punter wants to hear is the story of the Horse Race as it unfolds. They do not want theatrics or cliches included in the commentary, just a clear, concise story of the race unfolding, and then the climax as the leaders near the winning post.
Some commentators seem to think that to engage the betting public they have to include the theatrics or cliches, but they don’t. Richard Houiles, Simon Holt, John Hunt, Jerry Hanon, Travis Stone, and Alister Cohen all provide what the bettor, the handicapper, and the general racing public want to hear, the story, the drama, and the climax, and that’s what makes them the best.