About Me
Racing Correspondent
Racing Correspondent
When joining the BBC I was amongst the very first people heard on what was then Radio 5 when it started in August 1990 (it became 5 Live in 1994), and was in the frontline to interview some of the top names.
One of my big successes was giving Clare Balding her first media job – one of my biggest failures was failing to put myself on 10% of her earnings.
I am one of the country’s most experienced broadcasters having read my first news bulletin in the week of the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in July 1981, for commercial station 7 Sound in Gloucester, where I was based.
I was honoured to be made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Gloucestershire, for services to radio, at a ceremony held at Cheltenham Racecourse in 2019.
Broadcaster
Marketing & Promotions
Cheltenham’s successful Festival Radio station was invented during a car journey with me behind the wheel and the MD Edward Gillespie in the passenger seat. It first went on-air for Desert Orchid’s Gold Cup success in 1989, with me as the producer/joint presenter.
Additionally, I have presented promotions for racecourses including Aintree, Haydock and Doncaster, and have managed a successful campaign for Gala Casinos involving the purchase and putting into training of two racehorses owned by casino members.
Away from racing, commentary-style comedy about politics which I have written and performed have become a popular part of the BBC’s Brexitcast project.
During the 1990s I was ‘Audax’, racing correspondent at the Horse and Hound magazine, in succession to media greats John Oaksey and Michael Seely.
Other work, principally as a columnist, has been for The Times, Sunday Mirror, The Guardian, London Evening Standard, Racing Post, Owner Breeder magazine and the BBC Sport website.
My first book appeared in 2018, a study of 100 leading tracks was published by Collins - it won't necessarily be the last.
Journalist & Writer
In the Media...
