Episode 342: Ian Craig

Ian begins by looking back on his emotion- charged final day of calling at Gosford in 2009.  He recalls his final metropolitan race call at Randwick just five days earlier. The former ace broadcaster talks about the post racing life of retired callers like Bryan Martin and Greg Miles. Ian talks of school days at Sydney Grammar, and the difficulties associated with having the same name as a previous Australian cricket captain. He looks back on his introduction to race broadcasts when laid up with rheumatic fever as a child. When the time came to enter the workforce, most expected young Ian to join his father’s tailoring business. Instead he started off with the Stamina Clothing Company. Ian remembers a Richmond Greyhound Racing Club advertisement which led him into the race calling field. He looks back on the days of the huge Granville Showground trotting gymkhanas where several callers gained their starts. Ian kicked off in the bushes at the back of the track. He’s never forgotten his very first paid job as a race caller. Ian speaks fondly of his radio years at Harold Park Paceway, and the wonderful horsemen who dominated in the era. He reflects on 2KY’s entry into the Sydney race broadcasting market. He went to work for the station when they were in opposition to 2GB, 2UE and the ABC. Six years later the TAB bought the station outright. Things moved quickly thereafter. Ian remembers his entry into Sydney television through a very popular Sunday racing segment called “Punters Post Mortem”. He takes us through the great horses he got to call, with special mention of Kingston Town. Ian recollects the drama of the colossal Getting Closer betting plunge at Canterbury in 1982. He reviews famous racing incidents like the races won by 500/1 “pops” in the 1980’s. Both horses were ridden by the same jockey.  This is a lovely stroll down memory lane with one of the best race broadcasters to grace the airwaves in Australia.