Julian wilson. RIP

As I said on the other thread a serious presenter from a time in the recent past before dumbing down was imagined.
 
LUKE said:
As I said on the other thread a serious presenter from a time in the recent past before dumbing down was imagined.
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I'm not so sure. I think he just went to the right school and had a strong interest in racing. I always got the impression he didn't understand much about handicapping. There were many times I found myself saying something along the lines of, 'Did he really just say that?'

Never came across as comfortable in front of the camera either.
 
Considering some of the pure shite we have to listen to these days he was in a different league..I had a lot of time for him.
 
He wasn't anywhere near as knowledgeable as the likes of McGrath or Cunningham (both ex-Timeform).

He was BBC old school but to the majority of viewers he would have given a degree of gravitas that the modern breed don't really have.

But considering we've had to put up with Persad et al...
 
Desert Orchid said:
He wasn't anywhere near as knowledgeable as the likes of McGrath or Cunningham (both ex-Timeform).

He was BBC old school but to the majority of viewers he would have given a degree of gravitas that the modern breed don't really have.

But considering we've had to put up with Persad et al...
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As I recall, he was streets in front of both - as a presenter, and as a pundit.
 
The Ch4 Jim McGrath has an incredible knowledge of the game but in my opinion JW compares favourably with him.For a man who you think doesn't understand handicapping he did fairly well managing the career of Pontenuovo.He was also well connected-what was the name of the unraced Stoute filly he had 3K on at 33/1 to win the following seasons Oaks.
 
Sure he went to the right school but look at the stuttering wreck Ch4 currently employ as a betting expert.As I remember it he words were always measured.
 
I was just talking about him yesterday .
His autobiobraphy was quite interesting if a bit superior in tone.
An old Harrovian, he fairly went through the fillies in his time: he recalls one occasion where he doubled scoring on his couch with having a large bet on a Coronation Cup winner in the mid 70s. Not admitting to whether it was Quiet Fling or Exceller he did feel the need to Crow about it.
He was old school for sure not comfortable with sharing presenter duties with Claire Balding (or any woman). He also was peeved that Peter o Sullevan did not retire at 65 or 70, especially after declining a decent offer from C4.
He got the job with BBC ahead of Ml Stoute did he not.
A top racing presenter and front man for all that.
R.I.P.
 
To what extent did he 'manage' the career of Pontenuovo? That would surely be down to the trainer?

He was in a privileged position in more than one sense. He was also privy to specific information. Being well connected doesn't make you a good presenter. He was around at a time when the old school connection counted for a lot.

Coming back to Pontenuovo, I reckon if I owned a decent horse I could make sure it won whichever race I chose as a target for it. Give me a 110+ horse and I would win any valuable handicap provided it had its trip and going. It isn't rocket science.

I don't wish to sound as though I'm talking ill of the dead. It isn't my intention. He was of his time. He wouldn't get an interview nowadays. Then again, when you see the current presenters, maybe he would...
 
He hated the AW and thought the tearing up of the Jubilee course an act of vandalism. 73 is no age nowadays but somehow it seems that for him to go just as the lunatics at Great British racing and the bookmakers have taken over the asylum is somehow apt- RIP JW
 
I think his father was Peter Wilson, a very famous and acrid reporter for the Daily Mirror ( Top boxing writer ). He would have prepared a good swathe through the wheat for him to progress. But I always liked and respected him and the game will miss him. As you say 73 is nothing. Hope I have more to go yet
 
LUKE said:
Sure he went to the right school but look at the stuttering wreck Ch4 currently employ as a betting expert.As I remember it he words were always measured.
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Agree. You listened to him.

Basic presentation skills should be a given. Its ridiculous that people are making a good living out of this when they are about as articulate as a cabbage and have all the delivery skills of a speak your weight machine
 
Desert Orchid-I think you underestimate the role of the racing manager -the partner of a prominent trainer told me that when you train for Gigginstown or JP you surrender a lot of control-you might be training the horse in the morning but you are getting instructions regarding the horses targets.
I don't know exactly the role that JW played with Pontenuovo but he won the Hunt Cup off close to bottom weight and won another valuable handicap at Ascot later that season-whoever planned his campaign was shrewd or lucky.
 
LUKE said:
Desert Orchid-I think you underestimate the role of the racing manager -the partner of a prominent trainer told me that when you train for Gigginstown or JP you surrender a lot of control-you might be training the horse in the morning but you are getting instructions regarding the horses targets.
I don't know exactly the role that JW played with Pontenuovo but he won the Hunt Cup off close to bottom weight and won another valuable handicap at Ascot later that season-whoever planned his campaign was shrewd or lucky.
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I can see that I've contradicted myself when I said:
Desert Orchid said:
To what extent did he 'manage' the career of Pontenuovo? That would surely be down to the trainer?

---
Coming back to Pontenuovo, I reckon if I owned a decent horse I could make sure it won whichever race I chose as a target for it. Give me a 110+ horse and I would win any valuable handicap provided it had its trip and going. It isn't rocket science.
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He's probably done what I said I reckoned I could do. I'm just not sure how much 'managing' is involved, though. Once you know a horse's intrinsic ability and track/going/trip preferences, getting it to win is just a case of selecting the right race and then hoping for luck with the draw.

Jack Ramsden once said of one of his horses he knew it could win any race he chose for it [to win] as he knew exactly what it could do.
 
Ardross said:
He hated the AW and thought the tearing up of the Jubilee course an act of vandalism.
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I wouldn't have a problem with AW if it was worth watching. I'd always prefer turf but AW has worked in the US for long enough and it seems to be doing OK in the UAE.

I always thought Kempton and the Jubilee course were too important to rip up too.
 
clivex said:
Agree. You listened to him.

Basic presentation skills should be a given. Its ridiculous that people are making a good living out of this when they are about as articulate as a cabbage and have all the delivery skills of a speak your weight machine
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I agree with that too [that he was measured in what he said and that you listened to him]. I also think he was a better commentator and merited much more than the few fill-in slots he got. Yes, he could present in a certain fashion, which suited the nature of the programme at the era in which it operated but you'd have to say someone like Clare Balding is in a different league in terms of pure presenting but Wilson probably had a much greater knowledge of the politics of the sport.
 
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