Pointing People: Robbie Scott

Robbie Scott, originally from Shoreham-by-Sea near Brighton, but now based in Northampton, is one of the best-known voices – if not faces – on the point-to-point circuit, based on a decade of commentating in most regions of England and Wales. He hit the headlines last weekend when Chris Barber’s Hang Out – the first horse to run in Robbie’s name – won at Kingston Blount… called home by his owner! Jake Exelby caught up with the 27-year-old afterwards to talk through his career in the commentary box, and how he came to own Hang Out as the result of a drinking game with his trainer!

Robbie (right) with Ed Doggrell and Chris Barber after Hang Out's win (Neale Blackburn)

I know you work for SIS. Talk me through what do you do for a living.

I do commentary and voiceover work for their betting shop coverage, including greyhound racing. I do a lot of foreign racing – I’ve commentated on racing in Germany, Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru!

How did you get into racing in the first place? And how about commentating? How did the association with point-to-pointing come about?

I’ve loved racing since I was a young boy. Dad was a bookie before I was born and he used to take me and my sisters racing at tracks like Brighton, Plumpton, Fontwell Park and Goodwood.

It spiralled from there. When I was about to leave school, I’d decided I wanted to work in the sport and thought I’d give commentating a go. I remember telling Dad one day that I didn’t want to go to school but would rather go to Plumpton and talk to the commentator there about how to get into it. Dad said OK and Simon Holt was working there that day. We had a chat, I sent him a demo tape, and he invited me to Lingfield Park to do a live practice in an empty box.

After that, I did another demo – of my commentary on the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot – and sent it round to some point-to-points as an example of my work. My first meeting was the Hursley Hambledon at Larkhill in November 2016. That was quite a baptism of fire – a difficult first meeting, but if you can do it at Larkhill, you can do it anywhere. The first race was a Members, with just three runners, so it was a perfect start with not too much pressure. I remember a horse called Tommo going off miles clear, and Shantou Breeze was the first winner I called.

I think I did five meetings in my first season, and since then, I’ve commentated at a lot of courses in all parts of the country except the Northern Area, which is a bit too far. I’ve been to Yorkshire – I enjoyed Heslaker before it closed – and I’ve been to quite a few courses that no longer exist.

Robbie commentated at Heslaker before it closed

What are your career ambitions?

I’ve probably been the most used point-to-point commentator in the last few years. That was never my aim – it’s just happened. Now I’m contacted by people asking for me, rather than the other way round. I’ve had some great support along the way.

My dream is to be a racecourse commentator under rules.

What do you enjoy most about it and what are the biggest challenges in the role?

It’s the best job in the world. The buzz and the feeling are magical when you’re describing a brilliant finish and the racegoers are reacting. You can’t get that from other sports – racing is the only one that uses a live public address system, and it’s a really bonus to experience it with a crowd.

There’s a lot of driving, some long days, and some courses are harder than others. And the unique challenge of pointing is that we don’t know who’s turning up until an hour before each race, so you only have 20-30 minutes to memorise the runners. It can be difficult when you have big fields back-to-back.

Robbie commentating from a gantry at the Godstone Bank Holiday fixture

And sometimes you can be high up in a gantry or even a cherry-picker in difficult weather conditions. I remember being at Peper Harow in a monsoon - it didn't stop raining all day and I've never been wetter in my life!

It doesn't get much higher than the cherry picker at Peper Harow

What are your favourite courses on which to commentate? Which ones are tricky?

My favourite is Dingley – the best located racecourse I’ve been to. It’s at the bottom of a valley, and you can see everything. While the commentary box is a long way away, you’re right on the line. Kingston Blount is good – the box is very well placed and high up – and Charing is perfect, as you can’t miss a thing. At tracks like that, it’s your fault if you make a mistake, with no excuses.

Dingley - at the bottom of a valley (Nico Morgan)

Larkhill is most challenging. The track’s a colossal size and the fields are usually big. For half the race, they’re going away from you, so you have to watch every horse over every fence, and you can’t see them in the chicane. I use two sets of binoculars there, including a high-magnification pair on a tripod. Badbury Rings is tricky, as they go so far away from you – at the cross fence, the horses are just dots – as is any course where they jump the fences out of sight.

Larkhill - a difficult course at which to call (Tim Holt)

There’s a story doing the rounds about how you came to own Hang Out. Tell me about it in your own words.

It was at the Wessex Area Awards at the Holiday Inn, Taunton, and I was hosting. It’s a brilliant bash, there are always lots of people there and the bar’s lively, and I got chatting to Chris Barber. He’d told Joe Hill that he was going to drink me under the table, so challenged me to a drinking contest.

I said I didn’t want to, but Chris told me he’d make it worth my while. I warned him that it wouldn’t end well for him (!) but he offered me a share in a horse if I beat him. I won’t go into any detail but, three hours later, Chris was asleep!

Owning a horse is a magical thing and Chris is great – his family are steeped in racing.

Chris Barber (with Famous Clermont) - lost drinking game to Robbie (Caroline Exelby)

Peter O’Sullevan is famous for his dispassionate commentaries on the likes of Attivo and Be Friendly. You seemed fairly calm on Saturday. How did you control your emotions?

It was a funny experience. I didn’t want to make it obvious, but I was watching the whole field, yet only watching Hang Out, if that makes sense. Three out, I thought we had a chance, two out, I was thinking ‘This is on’, but the runner-up soared over the last, so it had to be a close finish, didn’t it? I called the race to the line, as I couldn’t call him the winner unless I knew he’d won. (The margin was three-quarters of a length).

Hang Out making his move after two out (Neale Blackburn)

Lots of people had turned round to watch me in the box by the end of the race, but I tried to call it deadpan – ‘Hang Out wins for (jockey) Ed Doggrell, Chris Barber and Robbie Scott’ – I didn’t want to make it about me. When I came out of the box, everyone gave me a cheer and seemed happy for me, which was fantastic. It’s what dreams are made of.

I gather another horse might be running in your name this season. Can you tell me anything about him/her.

Hang Out is going to the sales, so Chris tells me there may be another one that we can run a few times and have a bit of fun with.

And I understand you’ve now got your own colours – black and white for Newcastle United. Tell me how those came about.

I haven’t got them yet, but that’s the plan. My grandfather is from County Durham, so he and my Dad have always supported Newcastle. I suppose it would have been easier to follow Brighton, but I was never given a choice. I’ve been ‘Toon Army’ since day dot.

Which has been your favourite horse on whom you’ve commentated between the flags?

I’ve called some brilliant horses in points – Hazel Hill, Porlock Bay and Premier Magic, who all won the Cheltenham Foxhunters, and Cousin Pascal, Famous Clermont and Latenightpass, who did the same at Aintree. I’ve also called many brilliant races.

Porlock Bay (far side) and Premier Magic - two Foxhunters winners called by Robbie (Pointing WM)

Do you have any funny moments you can share?

At Larkhill, there was extremely thick fog all day. I was told a race was off but could only pick out about three of the runners. I saw a horse pass the line, worked out who it was, and said, ‘He’s either clear first… or clear last!’ Because the commentary box is well back from the track, I needed a fence steward with a walkie talkie to tell me the 1, 2, 3 over each jump.

Which horse would you most like to own?

I’m a watcher, and like seeing young horses come through – like Tom Lacey’s recent Maiden winners. Histrionic was impressive at Larkhill earlier this season, and Grace A Vous Enki is a fantastic horse to watch – but I wouldn’t want to own him, as I couldn’t take the stress!

Grace A Vous Enki and connections - fantastic horse to watch (Tim Holt)

Which jockeys do you admire?

Izzie Hill’s an amazing rider, as is her brother Charlie - they're both good friends. Gina Andrews’ record is a testament, and nobody apart from Izzie challenges her. James King is the calmest man I’ve ever met, and Ed Doggrell can do no wrong at the moment. I loved calling Will Biddick – another real horseman who I loved watching win from the front. As an amateur jockey, I’d put him up there with the likes of Derek O’Connor and Jamie Codd. We’ve lost a champion rider but gained a great trainer.

Will Biddick - fantastic horseman (Neale Blackburn)

What would you do if you were in charge of the sport of pointing?

I think lots of things are going well and we’re lucky that we seem to have a lot of young racegoers. Could we boost that more? And maybe we could have an App, with instant access to results? But it’s not really my forte.

Aside from Newcastle United, do you have any hobbies outside racing?

I’ve just come back from a game of snooker. I guess I’m OK – my highest break is 44, when I missed a pink for the half-century.

And I'm a keen swimmer - I used to play water polo. I'm doing a five-and-a-half mile swim the length of Lake Coniston in June for Level Water, a charity that helps disabled children to swim