Racehorse TALK

Part A - Larry Pratt.

Bubbasmith

What a classic.  Larry Pratt was the brother of successful (1960's to 80's) Brisbane trainer Alby Pratt (decsd).

Larry called the races on Brisbane ABC station 4QR, and was previously understudy to Keith Noud before Keith moved to 4BK.   I think he also wrote for the Brisbane Telegraph.  In those days racing got a good 3 to 5 minutes in the Sat night news and Larry would leave Eagle Farm, Doomben or Albion Park after the last and sprint for the ABC studios at Toowong for the 7.00pm news. 

In this clip, obviously the producer was off with the fairies. I used to hang with the ABC production crews in those days and they could be pretty feral on a bad day.  You can see Larry struggling with the floor manager and trying to find his racebook to cover for the production muck up.  Classic, and note how he held his sense of humour whilst being the "perfect" ABC announcer.

Larry ceased calling in the 1980's and handed over to Paul Dolan who now does Sunshine Coast race calls on Sundays and greyhound (various) throughout the week with John Brash. 

Larry rarely, if ever, attends the races these days.  Anyone know his whereabouts?

Ascot
Don't know his whereabouts, I worked with him on the Brisbane Tele in the sixties and haven't seen him since.  Picked him straight away from the utube clip.

Sad to report Larry is no longer around and not sure how long its been but quite a few years possibly 10 God Rest .

Thanks Arsenal.  Sad to hear.

 

Keith Robbins, with Larry and Tony Kennedy - wondering why I'm taking this photo.  About 38 years ago.

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Larry will be disappointed to know that's he's kicked off. Still alive and well. Only recently relocated to the Gold Coast and still counting the money he won on the Spedito/Spedito Stradbroke/Doomben 10000 double in 1975.
LLL - Long Live Larry. 

DoubleDee. Dont want to correct you but here goes.

 Photo Keith Robbins, Larry Pratt, and MAL BARNES. 

Randwick,  you didn't have anything to do with Norths Rugby League did you?

I feel that I know you.

Send me a PM if I'm right , otherwise don't worry.

double dee.

Prepared to stick. If I'm right it might even be the time when Mal was standing in for Bart Cummings and Mal was here with Belmura Lad for the P.J.O'Shea 1978. But you said 38 years ago so I wouldn't be 100% on the Belmura Lad bit HOWEVER I still go with Mal Barnes.

THAT aint Mal Barnes mate

Randwick

That is Tony Kennedy who was the racing writer for The Age before Tony Bourke took over.

DD will probably dispute this but I took the photo.