PETER BROMLEY: Peter Bromley, who has died from cancer aged 74, was BBC radio's voice of racing for 40 years, from 1961 to 2001. When he retired after the 2001 Derby, he had described 202 Classic races, and more than 10,000 horse races.
His distinctive commentaries, including 42 Grand Nationals on television and radio, were heard around the world. He was BBC radio's first specialist sports correspondent, and worked under eight BBC director-generals.
Born at Heswall, in the Wirral, he had no family background in horse racing. His father was a dentist. After education at Cheltenham college, and two years' national service, he won a place at Sandhurst and became a regular commissioned officer in 1947.
He served as a cavalry officer in the 14/20 King's Hussars based at Catterick, where he went hunting with the Bedale over the challenging north Yorkshire countryside every Monday. His interest in horse racing had been generated by a meeting with the famous racehorse trainer Evan Williams, who was attached to the same unit as Bromley's father during the war.
When racing was resumed at Cheltenham in February 1945, he was taken there and saw the popular "Frenchie" Nicholson ride four winners. The following day, Bromley shortened his riding leathers and attempted to ride like a jockey.
After three years in Yorkshire, his regiment moved to Fleet, Hampshire, where Frank Pullen, who had served with the Royal Artillery and was an expert with bad-legged horses, was the local racehorse trainer. Bromley, now a lieutenant, rode out every morning and schooled horses round the nearby Tweseldown racecourse. It was here that he befriended several jockeys, including Bob Turnell, Tommy Cusack and John Bosley. He rode in several point-to-points for a nearby farmer.
His other skill was as a rifleman, and as a subaltern he won the Bisley Cup at the Army Rifle Association meeting, in 1951. While at Sandhurst, he was a member of the modern pentathlon team.
When the regiment was posted to Tripoli in February 1953, where they looked like remaining for several years, Bromley resigned his commission. On the eve of returning to England he took part in a high-spirited cycle race, which resulted in him crashing into a wall and suffering concussion. The plane on which he would have flown crashed in high winds between Tripoli and Malta.
Back in England, he returned to Fleet, to work as assistant to Frank Pullen. During the week of the Cheltenham races, where he had hoped to be given a ride, a horse he was riding on the main road was alarmed by a lorry, reared over backwards, and landed on top of him.
Bromley suffered a fractured skull and was unconscious for 48 hours. His convalescence lasted for over a year, during which time he listened avidly to the racing commentaries of Raymond Glendenning on BBC radio.
Bromley was determined to earn a living from horse racing, ideally as a racing journalist, but his several interviews with racing editors were unsuccessful. His only income came from backing horses, with the artful assistance of Pullen.
He became a skilled race reader, and in 1955 applied for a test commentary with the British Racing Amplifying and Recording Company, which provided the recently initiated running commentaries on British races. His second trial earned him his first civilian job, as a racecourse commentator.
His first day's work was at Plumpton on March 23rd, 1955, where he delivered the famous line: "Atom Bomb has fallen." The pay was £20 a day, including expenses, so Bromley was also happy to work at the relatively nearby Fontwell, Plumpton, Folkestone and Wye.
In the late 1950s Bromley was invited to join the racing team of Peter O'Sullevan, Clive Graham and Peter Montague-Evans. He was offered the position of TV racing correspondent and understudy to O'Sullevan, but by now Bromley was doing an increasing number of commentaries for radio, which he opted for. With Glendenning's retirement imminent his choice was one he never had cause to regret, as O'Sullevan continued to command the microphone on BBC television until 1997.
He was seen on TV occasionally, presenting memorable features on Arkle and the Russian runners in the Grand National for the Sportsview programme.
In the 1960s, BBC radio broadcast only 50 races a year. By the l980s, with Bromley a powerful advocate for the sport, this had risen to more than 250.
In l964 he was responsible for the launch of the daily racing bulletin on Radio 2 (now on Radio 5 Live). The original purpose was to provide details of weather and possible abandonments, but it became famous for "Wogan's Wager" and a broader preview of the day's events.
From 1961 he missed commentating on only two Classic races (both times the St Leger). In later years, his decibel level was an occasional challenge to sound engineers, but his descriptions were lucid and colourful.
He was partially deaf as a result of his riding accident, a disability that did not endear him to producers requiring a quick end to his broadcasts.
Over the years he undertook commentaries in France, Ireland, America, Hong Kong and South Africa. His worst moment came in 1993, when poor conditions led to his misidentifying the winner of the Cesarewitch.
Despite a legendary short fuse, notably with technicians, Bromley was a kind man, with many friends away from racing. His favourite recreations were shooting and training gun-dogs.
He was married in 1954 to Mary Hobson, with whom he had a daughter, Mary Clare, but his wife was killed in a motor accident in Norfolk in l959. He married Joanna Massie in 1962, with whom he had two daughters, Liz Anne and Jane.