Episode 461: Tony Lee - NZ Broadcasting Legend Calls Time on Stellar Career

I first met Tony Lee when I had the honour to be guest commentator at the 1996 Wellington Cup meeting. In preparing to call a couple of races on the big programme, I received every possible courtesy from the NZ ace. Tony went out of his way to help me through a plethora of strange colours and horse names. I tuned in to hear his description of the recent Wellington Cup won by Mary Louise- his broadcasting swan song after four decades of wonderful service to NZ racing. I called Tony a few days after his Trentham send off to record this tribute to a man whose race calls whetted the appetites of generations of racing fans.  He recalls the warmth of the farewell afforded him by the racing industry. Tony says his last Wellington Cup was a tricky race to call.  He pays tribute to trainer Robbie Paterson and jockey Craig Grylls who bagged a Gr 1 double on the day. The veteran caller outlines the reasons for his surprise retirement.  Tony reminisces about the 1996 Wellington Cup meeting when he and I worked together for the first and only time.  The 65 year old looks back on childhood days on the family farm at Rongotea near Palmerston North. He says his late brother Craig was the one to introduce him to horse racing. Tony goes back to early days as a sound recordist with a local news crew. He says he loved the buzz of the media world. He talks of his admiration for the late Peter Kelly, New Zealand’s favourite race caller of the day.  Tony looks back on his race calling debut at the Hutt Park trots. Lee became famous for the passion he generated in his race descriptions. He talks about the development of his style. Tony talks about Castletown’s third Wellington Cup win in 1994. The words he used in the closing stages of his call are still repeated by racing fans of all ages. He pays tribute to the remarkable two miler Castletown, one of the country’s greatest ever stayers.  The ace commentator talks of Xcellent’s memorable win in the 2005 Mudgway Stakes, and the call that people still talk about. Horse lover Lee says he fell in love with Starcraft the moment he first saw him in the Hastings parade yard before the 2004 Mudgway Stakes. Tony talks of his affection for the Hastings track and runs through some of the other racecourses in the Central Districts.  Regrettably he saw little of northern trained Sunline, but he did get to call her final race in NZ- the 2002 Mudgway Stakes. He says local fans gave her an unforgettable send off. Tony acknowledges the deeds of a handful of other special horses. He talks of the 2012 disagreement with TAB Trackside which saw him walk away from his plum role. Eager to test the water out of NZ he spent two years with the Selangor Turf Club in Malaysia. He enjoyed the experience. Tony recalls the twist of fate that would send him back to his old job.  He pays tribute to some of the NZ trainers he’s admired over the years. In talking about jockeys he relates a funny story about the day at Otaki when he and trainer Alexander Fieldes put on an exhibition gallop. Tony talks about a business venture outside of racing. He and wife Briar run the Trax Bar and Cafe at Wellington railway station. It’s a laid back trip down memory lane with a man who’s been a great friend to NZ racing.