Horse Racing: 'Voice Of Racing' Is Dead

Sir Peter O'Sullevan, known to many as simply the ‘Voice of Racing’, has died at the age of 97.

Sir Peter O'Sullevan who worked as a commentator for the BBC for 50 years, is known for his sharp mind and delivery like no other. He worked at the BBC from 1947 to 1997 and some of his works that would never be forgotten are his commentary on the 1977 Grand National and Desert Orchid's popular Cheltenham Gold Cup victory in 1989.

Sir Peter who until very recently was still a regular visitor to the Cheltenham Festival was awarded a knighthood before his 50th and final Grand National commentary. He started his career as a racing print journalist when he worked with Press Association before joining the Daily Express.

The Chief Executive of the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust Nigel Payne had this to say about him “Sir Peter was one of the greatest men I've ever known. Only last week he was talking about what he wanted me to do for the trust in the future. He was still very alert. It's a sad day”.

Former jockey Jimmy Lindley, who also worked with O'Sullevan for the BBC, had this to say about him “he was a great friend and I'm so sorry, he doesn't just compare with the great people in racing, but in life in general. When I first started in TV he gave me all the confidence in the world and I couldn't say enough about him. As a commentator no one else could give you the same feeling watching a race, he made it feel as if you were riding in it, you felt like you were on the horse yourself”.

Another Broadcaster and pundit John McCririck also paid his tribute to O'Sullevan, describing him as an ultimate professional and had this to say about him “everyone will say he was the voice of racing, because he was. His commentaries will live for centuries. All the great races since the war have been called by Sir Peter O'Sullevan until his retirement. You respected what he said. He had very strong opinions, not popular with everyone. A lot of people will be eulogizing about him, quite rightly, but he was tough and hard underneath and to his soul a journalist”.

Jim McGrath, who replaced O'Sullevan as the BBC racing commentator after his retirement also had this to say about him “It's a very sad day in racing and you can feel that here at Goodwood. It's dawning on people that the man they knew as the voice of racing for more than two generations, the voice that was synonymous with our sport for so many people, has gone. It's hard to believe. At 97, it's a great knock, but at the same time he was razor-sharp in his mind right to the very end, although he did say to me recently 'I don't think the body's designed to last 100 years. He was a great, great man. He had a complete understanding and appreciation of exactly what was happening on the racecourse.
“He had an appreciation of the racehorse itself and also the jockeys, the participants involved and every layer of preparation that went into getting a horse to the racecourse. He could identify it and appreciate it and I think that came out in his commentaries. I think racing has been very lucky to have a man that was so passionate about the sport able to eloquently convey everything that was good about it to the outside world.

"He was a great sports commentator and this was long before we had close-up shots and people describing things off monitors. This was with the famous BBC binoculars off a German U-boat, with big fields at very big racetracks. It was some effort to do that. His technique changed as he got older. He adjusted his technique to suit himself. His name lives on with his charities and the amount of money he's raised has been quite incredible. It is a mark of the man”.

There was a statement from the Thoroughbred Rehabilitation Centre and it read:
“It was with great sadness that we learned of Sir Peter's passing. Sir Peter was the first Patron of the TRC when it was founded almost 25 years ago by Carrie Humble and his support for the work of the centre in retraining and rehoming retired racehorses has been unstinting ever since. We were honoured to be named among his six favourite charities when Sir Peter set up his Charitable Trust in 1997 and the donations we have received through the Trust have been invaluable in continuing our work. He will be greatly missed by us all at the TRC”.

Former president of the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association John Sexton also paid his tribute by saying “This is tragic news for British racing as we have lost not only a great commentator, but a truly great journalist. On a personal level, I have lost a true friend. With his colleague Clive Graham at the Daily Express, Sir Peter was responsible for the reforming the Horserace Writers Association in 1967, taking on the role of vice president. Over the years he was a key player in the organization and was a source of much help and advice during my 10 years as president from 1994. In 1997, I was honoured to be asked to be Master of Ceremonies at his first awards dinner following the setting up of his Charitable Trust and to be asked back year on year and, without fail, after each awards ceremony I would receive a hand-written note of thanks. It may be a cliché, but in this case it is true - we really won't see his like again."

And from all of us at Absolute Hearts we say may his gentle soul Rest in Peace.