- Graham Goode
Graham Goode (born 1949) is a British horse racing commentator best known for his long association with
ITV andChannel 4 .Goode first became a racecourse commentator aged 18 in 1967, and from the end of 1969 onwards he made occasional broadcasts for
ITV (mostly duringThe ITV Seven , a part of World of Sport). By the late 1970s, he was broadcasting regularly for the commercial network, but was still their third-choice commentator behindJohn Penney andRaleigh Gilbert . From the beginning of 1981, he becameITV 's main commentator, remaining in this role (though onChannel 4 from the mid-1980s onwards) until New Year's Eve, 1999 at Cheltenham. Simon Holt assumed the number one position during the broadcast at Uttoxeter on 2nd January, 2000.During this period he commentated on 95 consecutive Classics, from the 1981 1,000 Guineas to the 1999 St Leger, a run of Classic commentaries only beaten by
BBC Radio veteranPeter Bromley . He also covered many other important events for Channel 4, including theEclipse Stakes , Whitbread Gold Cup,King George VI Chase , the YorkEbor Festival and, from 1995, theCheltenham Festival , as well as international races such as thePrix de l'Arc de Triomphe ,Prix du Jockey Club , theBreeders' Cup and theArlington Million . He continued as a racecourse commentator throughout this period, covering races such as theGrand National which were televised by theBBC .His most memorable commentaries included his anguished "but oh! so much to do" when
Dancing Brave struggled to make up ground onShahrastani in the 1986Epsom Derby [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4ya2HPJpyI] and his near-hysterical excitement atDesert Orchid 's fourth King George VI Chase at Kempton Park in 1990 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmsQYfGfayI] .Since 2000, when Simon Holt replaced him as Channel 4's main race commentator, he has taken a lower-profile role, continuing to work for Channel 4 as a secondary commentator and also maintaining his career as a racecourse commentator, but now generally on lower-profile races.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.