I hope you don't mind me adding the "Sir" and RIP to the thread title TC, it seems fitting Where to begin? Many years ago, the BBC aired a 30 minute documentary on sports commentators and the art of adding to the passion and drama, rather than detracting from it, which is the true genius of the great sports commentators. I sometimes wonder if my admiration for "the voice of racing" might be due to some sentimental throwback to those formative years where his voice (sorry Julian Wilson) was the only one you associated with horse racing? But when I look back on youtube at his commentaries, he surely had not only the perfect voice, but also the perfect ability to read how a race was unfolding and emphasise just the right phrase or comment. His commentary of Dessie winning the Gold Cup still sends shivers down my spine today, some 26 years later. Those immortal words "he's beginning to get up" get the tears welling up in an instant and I remember, just for a moment, the passion which this great sport inspires in me. For that, Sir Peter O'Sullevan, thank you and may you rest in peace.
The greatest commentator of them all. He was the ultimate horseracing professional, even in the excitement of the victories of his own fine racehorses, Be Friendly and Attivo, he was so cool. You could not tell he was their owner, no way. RIP Sir Peter.
As a fourty something sports nut growing up with the Beeb was a tremendous experience. Commentators marked the different seasons so winter was Bill McClaren, Starmer Smith, Eddie Waring and the assorted footy chaps. As the weather got better it was David Coleman, Ron Pickering and co leading to the long summers of Arlott, Laker, Benaud and Peter Allis, Dan Maskell. Dorian Williams etc. Tying the entire narrative together through the wind, rain, snow sleet and brilliant sunshine was the brilliant Peter O Sullevan. When you tuned in to watch great events the commentator really was part of it unlike today. It's sad in a way of course but we've got fantastic memories. Every time I think back to great races of the twentieth century I have his voice in my head. RIP indeed and thank you.
Too young to truly remember those great races but even listening now, you don't need telling that he's the voice of racing. Just absolute perfection in every way. Subtle accuracies depicting dramatic finishes. Wonderful. R.I.P
Lovely eulogies gents. Sad to hear of his passing but boy was it a life well lived. One of the true gentlemen of his time and undoubtedly the voice that hooked a lot of us to this wonderful sport. He brought colour when there was only black and white. RIP Sir and thank you
Too young to really remember all but the very tail end of his commentating days but I do feel he got the balance between genuine excitement and informative commentary. Some today will contrive excitement by using a vocal hysterics to describe a horse closing into second 5 lengths off the leader. This is an aside however as what shone most about Sir Peter was his love for all aspects of the sport, if it was racing he loved it - from the stable lads, the injured jockeys fund, ownership and simply standing in the stands, he loved it all and served it all. Thank you Sir.
Today we tear our hair (if we have any left) out at the paucity of knowledge and insight offered us on the box. Now they need a team but then (in the '60s) any racing enthusiast's needs were met by the calming (irish) voice of Peter O'S and his mucker Clive Graham. Enough has been said about how good a commentator he was but I will add his commentary on the victory of his own Be Friendly when winning the Vernon's Sprint Cup (now morphed into the big September sprint Group 1). To anyone who was unaware he owned that bonny colt you'd have thought he was reading out of Yellow Pages when announced Winner Be Friendly, Jockey Colin Williams (or a year later Scobie), trainer Cyril Mitchell, owner Peter O'Sullevan. Pure class and professionalism I was also amused by the Mercer story that when trying to get some doubles on at Newbury one day, O'Sullevan stepped in and said "I'll do that for you Joe, you don't want to get into trouble".
