Ian Bartlett

And an awful harsh voice for commentating, can't bear him.

Long past his sell-by date. I'm always disappointed when I get to the racecourse and find he's commentating.

must have mentioned 3/4 times horse where money came before the off during the race

Comm @ MR just said 'the front two are still the front two...'
Just so you know

Peter O'Sullevan turning in his grave.

Surprised you're only noticing this now Racingqueen, he's been doing this a long time now. Though most of them are guilty of this.

"2 lengths or so"

I noticed.  Got somewhat over-excited.

That was shocking And I normally do not criticise commentators!

Which is the one that says "the field is concertineering somewhat" and "one out one back"?

Dec 26, 2021 -- 2:56PM, Racingqueen wrote:

must have mentioned 3/4 times horse where money came before the off during the race

He's the worse of them all for it. Unfortunately plenty of them are not far behind. Always thought I'd love the commentators to do a race not knowing what the betting was and how different it would be, ie actually race reading instead of betting reading.

I used to attend the sulky racing just outside Edinburgh way back when and the commentator at least once a meet would tell us - "Don;t the Pentland Hills look glorious tonight".

he really is the worst commentator, missed legends ryde even starting.

making my ears hurt.

Only in the job as he's Albert's grandson..

Anyone notice the habit of saying every race which was best turned out...? Who gives a feck!

He makes a few quid on the side selling copies of his commentaries to insomniacs

Regardless of what he actually says, his voice is just massively grating.

Nowhere near as irritating as listening to Darren Owen in the closing stages of a race.
The colours of any selection at a meeting he's covering are well logged in my skull as
it just has to be a big MUTE when he's on duty.

As for Bartlett...my abiding memory of him is when Horatio Nelson won on Arc day about
20 years ago and he persistently referred to one of the placed horsers Opera Cape as
Opera Cafe. I was genuinely thinking it was my mistake and WTF's an Opera Cafe?

Gibberish, I was intending to come on here and post "Gibberish talks Gibberish".  Not an insult but a sort of play on words meaning you were talking about Bartletts talking.  It seemed funny at the time, oops!
Then I read your post and it hit me in the portfolio of pet hates of commentators and for me too Darren Owen is atrocious. And always has been, even when he used to do the dogs.
I do exactly as you do, when he sadly presents on a clip - press the mute.

Bartlett's voice morphs into that of a Dalek wen he gets excited during the closing stages of races.

I've said it many times before on here but won't resist another opportunity. Darren Owen is the WORST of them all. His voice is sneering, nasal and deeply unpleasant, his grammar is atrocious ("Being rode along" - I know it might be "rowed" but I only hear it one way and if it is then the metaphor is way overused), and his enunciation is nails on a chalkboard ("Hendcyaap"). To get a job where the only requisite is to speak, who thought "he sounds ok"?

And don't start me on Gareth "and theyre off and errr... racing" Topham. Mute the lot.

Gibberish, I was intending to come on here and post "Gibberish talks Gibberish".

LH - that's par the course mate but at least such a self-deprecating moniker means
I get the first boot in on myself before everyone else does

As for the commentators...it goes without saying that Thompson is absolutely appalling
but it's not the nonsense he says that creates a screeching noise in my head (as I've
become accomplished to ignoring the diarrhoea they spout) it's the horrendous lip-smacking
which grates so much - that didn't seem to be there many years ago...it's as if he
thought to himself 'how can I píss the haters off even more?'

So as useless as a few of them are, there are only two irritants that have me lunging for the
mute...him & Darren, though I know nothing of the latter who may well be a genuinely nice guy.

I happen to think it's a very tough job to do and most do it effortlessly - I'd wager
they had fair IQs as there are upteen potential distractions in a sizeable field, and
instinctive default would naturally have someone (like me) resorting to absolute gibberish when
the unforeseen occurs - I reckon I speak for the majority on here too.

I haven't listened to commentating sound for years. Cattermole is about the only one I can stand and only because at least he is relatively gentle, not too excitable.

When I go to say Brighton, Plumpton or Fontwell I'm disappointed if it's not Simon Holt on duty. He's part and parcel of the day out, imo anyway. I don't mind Bartlett at all personally, he's miles better than the shrieking Irish bloke for example.

I know shooda.  I call it the "Andy Gray" syndrome.  Remember when he started on bskyb football - every game, no matter what level it was played at, was the most exciting thing he had ever seen.

Who is the shrieking  Irish Bloke ? Gives me a headache every time I hear him. Horse is 20 lengths clear approaching the line and he's screaming like a banshee having an orgasm.

The old"Roaring Bull",Jerry Hannon

Alan Howes best in the business. No nonsense, easy on the ear, calls it as he sees it and and like a good football ref, so efficient you don't even notice its him.

The skill should be to realise that we are all seeing the pictures and that their comments are just an add on, not absolutely essential.  We can generate our own excitement in running thank you very much.  Or not as the case may be.