Australian
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leaving honker to take up the Sydney job.. 
pretty good coup by the sydneysiders imo
After 16 years with the Jockey Club, race caller Darren Flindell will depart following BMW Hong Kong Derby day to take up the lead commentary role in Sydney.
Flindell has signed on with TABCorp as the senior metropolitan caller and will barely take a breath between jobs, finishing in his current position at Sha Tin on March 15 and starting in his new one the next day.
I'm really excited to be returning to the top job in my home town, which was always my dream when I started calling as a teenager
Darren Flindell
"I'm really excited to be returning to the top job in my home town, which was always my dream when I started calling as a teenager," Flindell said. "In my early days in Sydney, I learned the ropes under Ian Craig and it was always my ambition to follow in his footsteps and now I am doing that."
Flindell joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club commentary team in 1999, taking over as senior caller in 2006 after the departure of David Raphael. It was a role which has showcased Flindell's talents around the world with the globalisation of racing.
"I'm grateful for my time in Hong Kong, I've learned a lot and it has been a real privilege to watch some of the great jockeys and trainers at work," he said, and added that seeing Able Friend go around in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup on his last day would be a fitting farewell from racing at Sha Tin. "I've seen and called some champion horses here too but I have to say the highlight in that regard has been the last 12 or 18 months watching the careers of Designs On Rome and Able Friend develop. They've been on separate paths more recently, but I enjoyed their rivalry last season in the four-year-old races as much as I've ever enjoyed seeing any of the great horses. Their fight to the finish in the Derby was as good as racing gets."
With the Jockey Club commentary staff reduced by one a month from now, the next question is who will be the next caller to join Brett Davis and Clint Hutchison in the box at Happy Valley and Sha Tin.
pretty good coup by the sydneysiders imo
After 16 years with the Jockey Club, race caller Darren Flindell will depart following BMW Hong Kong Derby day to take up the lead commentary role in Sydney.
Flindell has signed on with TABCorp as the senior metropolitan caller and will barely take a breath between jobs, finishing in his current position at Sha Tin on March 15 and starting in his new one the next day.
I'm really excited to be returning to the top job in my home town, which was always my dream when I started calling as a teenager
Darren Flindell
"I'm really excited to be returning to the top job in my home town, which was always my dream when I started calling as a teenager," Flindell said. "In my early days in Sydney, I learned the ropes under Ian Craig and it was always my ambition to follow in his footsteps and now I am doing that."
Flindell joined the Hong Kong Jockey Club commentary team in 1999, taking over as senior caller in 2006 after the departure of David Raphael. It was a role which has showcased Flindell's talents around the world with the globalisation of racing.
"I'm grateful for my time in Hong Kong, I've learned a lot and it has been a real privilege to watch some of the great jockeys and trainers at work," he said, and added that seeing Able Friend go around in the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup on his last day would be a fitting farewell from racing at Sha Tin. "I've seen and called some champion horses here too but I have to say the highlight in that regard has been the last 12 or 18 months watching the careers of Designs On Rome and Able Friend develop. They've been on separate paths more recently, but I enjoyed their rivalry last season in the four-year-old races as much as I've ever enjoyed seeing any of the great horses. Their fight to the finish in the Derby was as good as racing gets."
With the Jockey Club commentary staff reduced by one a month from now, the next question is who will be the next caller to join Brett Davis and Clint Hutchison in the box at Happy Valley and Sha Tin.
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Very boring caller and one of the worst moves by the ATC
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Scott- AGREED!...
I have been making this comment elsewhere on forum but recall others disagreeing.... Our horses racing industry has been built on the back of great and exciting voices.....imo not only is his voice more boring than the UK and US callers...who have lifted their "game" over the last decade...but he calls are woefully inaccurate in terms of calling horses chances that have zip chance.....leaders shadows can sometimes be mistaken for others coming from behind.....not...... Nice not to feel alone in my thoughts about: Very boring caller and one of the worst moves by the ATC |
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Thought he would be great he's hopeless. Jumbling up words regularly it's embarrassing.
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you ****s are hard to please,what do want your tiny penis'sss sucked while he's calling as well
he sh1ts over monotone Shean,and tho matt hill was good,flindell is a class above him.. good tipper as well imo,and never gets a photo wrong,and he has a go,hate these ****s who wont have an opinion in a photo.. personally i think he's mad for leaving a plum job in honker with all the fab honker pussie to be sniffed out to come to a busted @rse race club like the atc and **** city thats sinking... just imvho..  |
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He's a raving you dope bigted whats he gunna do with ****?
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who woulda known..  not teddles  anyway..better ladyboys in hk im tipping..  |
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Not fit to tie shean's shoes, they had arguably the best caller in Australia and let him go, totally bizarre if you ask me.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNPQ3NXtpXQ&feature=youtu.be
a year ago this sat..the best called wheatwood ever  reckon Joel might of done a better job  |
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Hmph
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I don't rate Flindell.
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Cant help but note his inaccurate calls of how a horse is travelling during the race...
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darren became a terrific caller in HK and was an integral part of overall coverage for his observations and selections
not easy to begin with in any new jurisdiction but seems to me he's really settling in well now i think you'll grow to really like him he's a great guy, too. bigted your remarks are very funny. oh and agree that mark shean is also a terrific caller and very odd decision to get rid of him. i know he's got an ordinary "broadcasting voice" but admire his accuracy and understanding of what's going on in a race and he'll do well in hk, just hope they are paying him enough because it is damn expensive. those ladyboys don't come cheap Bigted!! |
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Happy
Good comments...always good to give a balanced view... darren became a terrific caller in HK and was an integral part of overall coverage for his observations and selections not easy to begin with in any new jurisdiction but seems to me he's really settling in well now |
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Seriously white bread.
Yawwwwwwwwn |
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Next step , we'll have Siri calling them
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The following may sound a bit picky but as a professional race caller comments are appropriate:
Most week days of just gambling fodder I sit at desk and either rely on in play odds for outcome or listen with ear piece from am radio...... He does have a tendency to take annoying audible breaths/in hales during race call and/or little throat clears .......direct into my ear rally grates me at times. Now getting used to the yawnnnnn sound of the monotone voice Dont mean to be a tyre kicker ...but the thread is here for comment and that is mine |
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Its amazing the difference between when darren started calling at Moss Vale dogs and now, he was back then a fast exciting caller, now its going through the motions. Has he given up betting and lost that excitement 'edge' ?
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i'm pretty sure he still likes a "house to let" just as much, if not more than the rest of us
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Can anyone who knows this rooster tell him to stop clearing his throat while calling....I have earphones and it sounds very very unprofessional considering his profession....
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Happy Valley, I used to be his bookie, good bloke, lives for racing and betting.
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If there was a TV handy to the pre-parade and if Mark Shean was calling it, I might saunter over and watch.
Not inclined to at all with the new bloke. Just sayin |
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Race 6 today at warwick farm was embarrassing, tried 4 names before settling on the right leader and then just left out 2 horses that were running 3rd and about 5th because he didnt have a clue, just a bumbling jibberer
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I wonder if he's ever been to Mongolia.
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think he called at inner mongolia once
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That's a sh1thole, outer is where it's all at
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