The Australian-born, UAE-based commentator answers our questions.
The English language voice of racing in the UAE, Pat Comerford called his third Dubai World Cup last month.
“I was able to enjoy the meeting this year, but I was a nervous wreck calling my first Dubai World Cup,” admits the 30-year-old Australian, who studied in America but began commentating in Alice Springs, where he worked on a local radio station.
“The commentator at the racetrack in Alice Springs left,” he explains, “and as it would’ve cost them a fortune to fly someone in, I was asked if I’d like to give it a go.”
After an Auckland stint with Trackside NZ, Comerford was hired by the Singapore Turf Club to call races at its now defunct Kranji.
He took up his Emirates Racing Authority appointment in late 2023 and says, though he’s still “loud”, his “lingo has changed” and now incorporates British and American terminology.
“I didn’t realise,” he shares, “but when Magnitude crossed the line, I said he’d led from ‘gate to wire’, which is one of the most American terms out there.”
Comerford adds that, rather than learning colours, it’s forgetting them (so as not to call a runner from a previous race) that can prove more difficult.
Which racing figure (past or present) do you most admire?
Bart Cummings was one of the most amazing trainers of all time.
I started watching racing during the back end of Bart’s career and I was lucky to meet him when I was ten or 11 years old.
Though I never experienced his heyday, the legacy that he has left is monumental.
What’s your favourite venue, and race, anywhere in the world?
I have a soft spot for Kranji, and I think it’s an absolute tragedy that it’s no longer left.
I feel it still had a lot of life, unlike Macau (where racing also ended a couple of years ago), which was a bit dilapidated and didn’t have much character by the time it went.
As a facility, I think Kranji will go down as one of the great builds of all time. It had everything and was constructed to house 2,000 horses.
Being from Melbourne, however, I’m also a sucker for Flemington. It’s one of the world’s greatest tracks and, at some point in my career, I’d love to call a race there.
That said, one of my favourite races is the Cox Plate. I love weight for age racing as I think it brings the best quality.
Outside Australia, I’d say the Yasuda Kinen or Japan Cup are right up there for depth of quality.
Who’s your favourite racehorse (past or present) and why?
My favourite Australian horse is Black Caviar.
I was alive when Makybe Diva was winning all her Melbourne Cups, but Black Caviar was a huge presence and I got to see her race a lot, which I think allowed me to develop a soft spot for her.
There’s a Hong Kong horse I loved back in the day though called Able Friend, whom João Moreira had a lot to do with.
He was a very tough competitor, and, like Maurice, was a horse I admired from afar.
What’s your fondest memory in racing?
My fiancée and I travelled to Japan last year and I got to experience the Yasuda Kinen live.
The roar from the 700m mark to the line was something I’d never experienced before. There were about 60,000 people there for the day, plus about another 50,000 for the race itself.
I really admired the pure love of the race and the sport in general.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
The varying whip regulations around the world, and the fact that riders must adapt and change depending on where they are.
I think universal rules would make things easier and decisions like this I feel would improve the perception of our sport to people outside racing, showing we’re moving forward and putting the longevity of racing first.
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