MUTE IS CUTE

I know we have whacked this subject to death, but after two weeks away from the box I started watching again this weekend and was initially quite impressed with the Vaal coverage - the flashes of winning owners and music was quite good to create a mood and it was quite ok. But then Sunday.

Neill Pretorius has got to be the most irritating guy in the studio and while I acknowledge he lacks no passion, his absolute dogmatic approach to tipping and opinion really drives me mad.

Firstly he didn't tip a winner till Intellectual won and went on and on about the PA being the bet to pay 'bombs' - it was paying R3 after 3 legs if I recall and he was out already - but he also passes supposed expert comment 'on looks alone'. Come on Neil, you put the public off two winners - including Mill Key Way, which you said didn't impress you and she was sweating etc, but you never say a damned word after the race- except when Intellectual won. Then your R144 Musselburgh jackpot which you assured us you spent hours researching went out in the first bloomin leg!
And who cares if Grant Knowles is strutting around the Curragh?

I say we campaign for Shaheen Shaw or no presenter in the studio- announcements and info can be disseminated via a belt or something.
Somehow the Tellytrack guys rate themselves as celebrities or fundis.

I reckon they are all battlers like the most of the rest of us.

Oh, thank goodness for my mute button!!

Butch Shaheen Shaw is in a class on his own (world class)..I would petition that the guys salary gets doubled and he gets comm on the extra turnover he generates.

He is an absolute pleasure to listen to...and I think has a huge future in what he does anywhere in the world.

What was even worse was Neil telling us about Markus Jooste's runner at the Curragh. How we should all pull for this one.

I mean really. I wish Markus well, but I shout for the horse I have backed. Neil is painful. Seems a nice guy though.

Harris I do know the TT staff have a lot of respect for Neil..they like him.

Have met him, a good man tries very hard.

Shaheen is in a different class perhaps he should give a seminar to the other crap and irritating presenters as to what the the punters want in a presenter

Do a swap with Bob Cooper from attheraces,and you will fly "presenter" back first class.

Maybe just use your Mute Button butch, instead of stalking the poor chap..

oscar Wrote:

---

> Butch Shaheen Shaw is in a class on his own (world
> class)..I would petition that the guys salary gets
> doubled and he gets comm on the extra turnover he
> generates.
>
> He is an absolute pleasure to listen to...and I
> think has a huge future in what he does anywhere
> in the world.
Shaheen took big criticism from me and many others on his early race calling at the Vaal - he has taken heed and is now looming up as one of the best race callers we have. I really hope his passport gets confiscated as he has the talent to call anywhere in the world.

Mr Pretorius tries a bit hard and gets a bit over the top at times, I catched the replays from Flamingo Park this morning and he insisted that "this one will win a couple" to Peter Miller to which he retorted "I don't know about a couple.." He then insisted to repeat the same to the jockey saying he knows this horse from Cape Town racing and ".. it will win a couple even if the trainer disagrees with me".

We get the point no need for repetition and if a trainer or owner disagrees leave the point, you've stated yours already. As an interviewer your job is to facilitate dialogue and not interweave all your personal feelings or which horse you backed into an interview.

Shaheen is wide awake and spots a lot of things some presenters would miss. The one good thing about Mr Pretorius he never has anything bad to say about anyone as he'll rant and rave about the transparency and professionalism of any racing personality, sometimes it feels like he has to extricate his head out of a certain hole afterwards. Sure he is a very affable guy, but top notch presenter he is not.

You guys have no idea how lucky you are.

In America, we have two full time channels that show racing.

The people on these shows--there are 2 or 3 of them on at any given time--spend more time on their personal quirks and trying to make jokes than commenting on the horses.

They remind me of a group of teenage school children that have locked their teacher in a closet and have taken over a radio station.

The mute button has been in force in America for a decade now.

Barry when you next out here make a point to try listen to Shaheen either in studio or commentating..let us know what you think.

Checked the replays of flamingo park yesterday.. Thought that Neil was premoted to go upstairs at jhb from kenilworth. He was at flamingo park?? And when he went out of his PA yesterday, he says to the guys, I still got my jackpot lying in the wings. Its obvious that the tellytrack presenters are not there to tips the public winners. Most of us know that a company's main goal is to make money and a profit at the end of the day. These guys are just the sales force of the big P and they therefore encourage the man on the street to put his last dime on that winner that has evaded him the whole day. So many people think yes, this is the time now this is the winner I was waiting for. If you as a punter cannot calculate for yourself that these guys know nothing about tipping shit out of a bucket then don't listen to them. Its your money, its your decision put or stay out. These guys actually make selections of exotics easier as you know which horses to leave out in the end. But dont get me wrong, these guys may be gentleman in the flesh outside of racing.