Matthew Hill recently called his fourth spring carnival; one like no other, with COVID-19 ensuring it was staged behind closed doors, but his crisp style ensured a colourful depiction to a world-wide audience.
Hill is living out his dream behind the binoculars and microphone with the voice of the G1 Melbourne Cup always sold on a career as a race caller.
The multi-talented broadcaster grew up close to famous Flemington and a racing upbringing sowed the early seeds that flourished to future commentating experience in a number of other offshore racing jurisdictions.
Matthew Hill | Image courtesy of Matthew Hill
“I’ve always wanted to do this and I was brought up in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne and about 15 minutes from Flemington Racecourse,” Hill said.
“My childhood was spent going to Flemington or Moonee Valley with my grandfather, who used to love the races, or I’d go and watch, as they were then, the Footscray Bulldogs who are now the Western Bulldogs.
“I’d either go to watch them on a Saturday with my grandma or go with my grandad to the races. I just loved the races and listening to them on the radio.
“I’m 39 and probably the last of that age group that listened to the races on the radio and was spellbound by it. I always wanted to replicate the job of the race caller.”
“I’m 39 and probably the last of that age group that listened to the races on the radio and was spellbound by it.” – Matthew Hill
To that end, Hill took his first steps as a teenager toward fulfilling his ambition.
“When I was about 15 I started practising at the races with my binoculars and a tape recorder and I’d go to the races on a Saturday and then harness racing most Saturday nights as well at Moonee Valley,” he said.
“I’d sit in a spare broadcast box and practice away and as I sit in my office at home now, I’ve got cassette tape after cassette tape in my drawers of me calling races to myself when I was young.
“I slowly picked up little bits of work here and there at non-TAB greyhound meetings or barrier trials and harness trials. By the time I got to Year 12 at school I was pretty much destined to be a race caller.
“Having said that, I was going to go to do Media Studies at University, but the year after my schooling finished I was calling at trials and picked up some part-time work at the radio station, which is RSN now, and I’d spend every Sunday at the races with Greg Miles.
“I’d set up his gear, make his cup of tea and on the Saturdays with Bryan Martin occasionally and call some greyhound races on a Friday night at Geelong and that was my first year of employment.”
Scholarship success
His years of practise then paid off and as a 19-year-old Hill received a major break.
“Sky Racing had a young race callers’ scholarship called the John Tapp Scholarship and I won that and moved up to Sydney and was there for 15 years before returning to my current role in Melbourne,” Hill said.
His style has been mainly influenced by three prominent racing commentators.
“I reckon we are like musical artists a little bit. We tend to listen a lot and taking in what the other guys have done.
“When you’re practising, you’re trying to get the races right and moulding your style around the guys you like with a bit of yourself in there as well.
“For me, I loved Greg Miles and his style and I loved Jim McGrath in England, the Australian ex-pat who worked for the BBC. I was also brought up listening to Dan Mielecki call the races on Channel 10 through the Melbourne Cup carnival.
“They were the three voices I really enjoyed listening to so there is probably a bit of them in all of my calls.”
Matthew Hill | Image courtesy of Matthew Hill
Prep work vital
An abundance of homework and preparation ahead of a race day is also part and parcel of the occupation.
“I usually spend an hour or two doing the form. I print the colours out into sheets and rebuild my form guide in a way with those colours and all my notes,” Hill said. “I probably spend four or five hours on a meeting.
“I look at a few different things as well and look at the history of the race and what may have happened years before and look at all the trainers and jockeys if they’ve won the race before etc.
“I use that before and after race commentary. I spend a good half an-hour to an hour sifting through the colours and learning them. I always try to look at them the day before and sleep on it and then it’s blended into your brain a bit better.
“The most important time for a race caller is 10 minutes before a race. When the jockeys are mounting up you take in the sight and by the time they are out on the track I know them by heart.”
“The most important time for a race caller is 10 minutes before a race.” – Matthew Hill
Hill also has a faithful companion by his side while completing his prep work.
“Oliver my dog always sits peacefully next to the desk by me when I’m doing the form. He’s an absolute joy,” he said.
It’s also vital to Hill to stay both mentally and physically in shape.
“I love exercise and go to the gym three times a week and walk a lot, it’s a fine line between preparation and just resting your brain,” he said. “A brain is a bit like a computer – the more you put into it the slower it can become.
“The day before a race day I try and be pretty quiet and not overwork myself. You need to be fresh for the day and eat well and get a decent night’s sleep.
“My grandad always said the hours you sleep before midnight are worth two, so if you get to bed about 10 you should be alright.”
Sold on carnival
Hill’s favourite time of the year is undoubtedly spring carnival time, despite added pressure.
“I love Cup week and live for it and when it’s over I feel a bit anti-climactic and start to look forward to the next one,” he said. “It is a hard week with 37 races and what people don’t realise is the race caller has so many other things happening.
“Twenty-five years ago there were that many callers doing the different mediums. You had a radio caller, TV caller and on-course caller etc. If you went back to the 1985 Cup I reckon there was probably eight different callers of that race.
“Now there is one so I have to look after radio commitments, Channel 10 and they cross to me a couple of times a day and Racing.com do that and then there’s presenting the morning racing program.
“There’s so much going on and the Monday before the Melbourne Cup I would probably knock over up to 20 radio interviews and that’s on a day when you’re wanting to be prepping as well.
“By the time Cup week is over I’m absolutely exhausted and I spend a day or two just sleeping, but I wouldn’t swap it for anything else.”
Eerie atmosphere
Hill said this year was another entirely different situation due to the restrictions of coronavirus.
“It was particularly difficult with no crowd. It was very hard to really rev yourself up – like a performer you need that vibe to get yourself geared up. Once the Cup was run I sadly felt the last two days were quite flat so it was a bit of a slog to the finish this year.
“I do love the variety though, you’ve got that class day the first day with the Group 1 races, Cup Day is massive for obvious reasons, I love the balance of Oaks Day with the sprint race, the country race and the greys race and then the last day is another top-notcher with a couple of Group 1s.”
An empty stand looking over the finish of this year's G1 Melbourne Cup
Hill has been in the caller’s box around the world, but Cup week remains his number one.
“I’ve called a lot of races around the world and done seven Grand Nationals, the Dubai World Cup a couple of times and called in about 14 countries, but I still don’t think much tops Melbourne Cup week.”
He is also grateful for the opportunities that have opened up since he’s called Australia’s iconic race.
“I can’t tell you how many doors have opened up since I’ve called the Melbourne Cup, it’s remarkable really. It’s an honour calling the Cup to the world and it’s remarkable how many people have been in touch with me, the Cup touches everyone.
“I can’t tell you how many doors have opened up since I’ve called the Melbourne Cup, it’s remarkable really.” – Matthew Hill
“Even though they claim the Grand National stops England, which it doesn’t, and America claims the Kentucky Derby as their great race, they still can’t believe the impact the Melbourne Cup has. It’s definitely my favourite race.”
That aside, Hill has also has a real love for the Grand National at Aintree in Liverpool.
“I have a bit of a fascination with the Grand National and got lucky in 2004. When I went over in 2002, I had a trip to the National and met all the race callers and absolutely loved it and two years later I was going to go again and shout myself a holiday,” he said.
“I e-mailed one of the commentators I had met, a guy by the name of Dave Smith who was a commentator for the BBC Radio and they have four different callers because the track is so large.
“He said it’s amazing you’ve got in touch because I can’t do it this year and they had an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman and if an Aussie was able to e-mail them and tell them you’ll be there I’m sure you’ll get the gig and I did.
“I ended up doing six Grand Nationals to Beecher’s Brook, which had its own challenges because the first time you get to see the 40 runners in the flesh is when they’re coming at you jumping this almighty fence.
“You’re part of a four-man commentary and that’s different because you're not in control of your own destiny and you have to cross to somebody else.”
Two years ago, Hill was to have his finest Grand National moment.
“The Englishman, John Hunt, who I had called with ironically had to work at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, which clashed with the Grand National,” Hill said.
“They got in touch with me and asked me to come over and be the main caller, calling the end of it so I ended up calling Tiger Roll winning it. I’m only the second Australian behind Jim McGrath, who I idolise, to be part of the BBC team for the Grand National.
“The other thing I would love to do is to call the Cheltenham festival, that’s on the bucket list.”
Versatility highlighted
Hill has also showed his versatility and class by covering a number of international sporting events.
“I’ll be up to my fifth Olympics next year when Tokyo comes around and I’ll be working with Channel 7. I did Beijing, London and Rio and throw in Sochi Winter Olympics in the middle,” he said.
Hill’s first Olympic experience in Beijing was, however, almost his last.
“I got very ill and nearly died. I ended up getting air-vacced out of China because I contracted melioidosis, which is probably not that dissimilar to COVID-19 and it had a 90 per cent death rate so I’m lucky to be here,” he said.
“I’ve done the Paralympics and the Youth Olympics and I do the tennis every year for Tennis Australia at the Australian Open and I’ll be up to my 10th year doing that and I’ve called some AFL footy.
“The problem is I can’t fit it all in. I’d do everything if I could, but racing is my number one and always will be. Australia has a history of race broadcasters calling sports.
“I’d do everything if I could, but racing is my number one and always will be. Australia has a history of race broadcasters calling sports.” – Matthew Hill
“Bruce McAvaney was a race caller for Channel 10 and he’s become Australia’s greatest sports commentator, Peter Donegan was a caller and then became a superstar sports commentator and guys like David Morrow for ABC and Ray Hadley.
“Even Greg Clark, who calls the Rugby Union, started as a race caller. Race broadcasting has become a stepping stone to sports broadcasting. If you can call 24 horses charging down the straight at Flemington everything else is pretty easy.”
Hill has been a race caller for two decades and is in his fourth year in his role with Racing Victoria.
“I hope to go as long as I can, but I don’t think I’ll be getting to 36 Melbourne Cups like Greg Miles, that’s phenomenal,” he said. “That would make me 72 if I was able to top Greg, but hopefully I’ll be retired by then and laying on a beach somewhere.”
Hill obviously has extensive work commitments, but he still manages to find time out for a few other outside pursuits.
“I do love the gym sessions and I have a great love of music and my idol away from sport is Bryan Ferry. I’ve seen him in concert 12 times and absolutely love the man and guys like Johnny Farnham,” he said.
“I used to play golf, but not as much as I used to and love a good, social lunch when I get the chance."
