Veteran Victorian race caller Greg Miles announces his retirement
THE voice of metropolitan racing in Victoria, Greg Miles, has announced his retirement from race calling.
The 57-year-old will see out his current contract, which ends in June of next year, but will remain part of the Racing.com daily free-to-air coverage of Victorian racing.
Miles, who this year called his 36th Melbourne Cup, said he would be leaving the industry on his terms.
“I have been privileged to call Australia’s greatest races for more than three decades and after a long and fruitful career I believe that the time is now right to announce my pending retirement from race calling and allow a period of transition for the industry to its next metropolitan race caller,” Miles said.
Miles called his first Melbourne Cup in 1981 at the age of 22 and surpassed the record of the late Bill Collins when he called his 35th consecutive Melbourne Cup in 2015.
Miles said the appeal of going out at the top of his game was too good to pass up, and rather than leaving the industry all together he will remain part of the racing fabric within the Racing.com family.
“I know I might be leaving a little early, but I’d rather leave two years early than two years late,” he said.
“My contract ends in June, I’ll still be doing radio and TV work, and I’ll be on the panel to select my successor.”
Racing Victoria CEO Bernard Saundry said Miles will be an enormous loss to the industry after setting the bar so high in his three decade tenure has a race caller.
“As a racing fan at heart I have been blessed to grow up listening to Greg call our greatest races. He has transcended generations and will leave hefty shoes to fill when he officially retires,” Saundry said.
“Greg can be most proud of his professionalism and commitment throughout his career and know that his ability to capture the moment has played an integral role in creating some of our greatest racing memories.”
West Coast raiders head the market in the Winterbottom Stakes
Star sprinter Malguerra will be looking to place himself among the upper echelons of racing’s elite as the Darley Classic winner looks to claim a third Group 1 win this year in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot.
Malaguerra is the current $3.20 favourite at Sportsbet.com.au to take out the $1 million feature on Saturday.
The five-year-old tops the charts ahead of Sydneysider Terravista ($3.80) and four-year-old Takedown ($7), while Perth pair Rock Magic ($7) and State Solicitor ($9) round out the single figure hopes in the $1 million race.
Stable representative Manny Gelagotis said Malaguerra enters Saturday’s feature race alongside another Group 1 winning important as one the horses to beat.
“His class will take him a long way,” Gelagotis said.
“I think him and Terravista look the form-line. They’re two really good sprinters.
“We’re just hoping for a bit of luck and hoping the race pans out right.”
Gelagotis believes Terravista will deliver the biggest challenge in his galloper’s pursuit of a third Group 1 win in 2016, and trainer Joe Pride said the horse is officially over the foot issues that have plagued the seven-year-old’s career to date.
The Pride runner burst onto the scene in 2014 after upsetting short-priced favourite Chautauqua in the Darley Classic but has been luckless in the Group racing thereafter, placing four times.
Pride believes the Winterbottom Stakes will provide the perfect platform for the seven-year-old to remind the racing world exactly what he is capable of.
‘’So it’s really down to the horse finding his best form and then we can look ahead into next year and the big sprints in Melbourne and Sydney with a real plan,’’ Pride said.
‘’He’s a seven-year-old with just 23 starts next to his name so with those feet issues behind us, it’s time to press the button with him and see what he can do over the next 12 months or so.”
The foot issues that Terravista battled limited his 2015 to just six starts.
Pride believes the best may be yet to come in regards to his star seven-year-old.
“The way he’s settled in here, I can see no reason why he cannot find his form this Saturday and if he can, then we’ve got plenty to look forward to next year with him.”
A sensible decision by Greg Miles to retire, which I seriously believe was a year and a bit overdue. He’s too nice a guy and too perceptive to risk waiting much longer. To hang on, then get sacked (which I suspect may have happened sooner rather than later) would have left a terrible legacy. Honestly, his calling has been poor to average over the past 12 months – it certainly rates as the poorest single year of his 30+ year career. This is a job which tempts you to go on too long, so it takes real guts to quit ahead of being cut. Race callers very rarely get tapped on the shoulder & told ‘you are out’, but they DO get lots of feedback (mostly blunt) when they make a blue. He’s had lots of feedback I’m sure since 2014 (Caulf. Cup day 2015 really began to accelerate the attention). He has been spiralling downhill for a while, and it can’t really be stopped….mistakes lead to lack of confidence & hesitation, which then leads to more mistakes, and on and on. Listen to him any Saturday now, then listen say 2-3 yrs. ago….truly, it isn’t there any more. But he has had a great career so deserves many plaudits overall – well done Greg !!.