POINTING PEOPLE: WILL BOWLER

At the relatively young age of 26, Will Bowler (pictured with presenter Derek Thompson and jockey Paddy Mathers) is already an established voice in point-to-point commentary, talking spectators through the races at venues as far apart as Friars Haugh and Godstone. From Derby, Will works for SIS as well as freelance race day presenting at nearby Southwell and – as he tells Jake Exelby – working in racing has always been his calling (forgive the pun!)

How did you get into racing and point-to-pointing?

When I was a kid, Mum and Dad were members at Uttoxeter, so I’ve been going there since childhood and then started going further afield – I’ve only got five rules tracks left to do – and went to my first point-to-point at Garthorpe when I was ten. So I was bitten by the bug at an early age and there was no way back!

And specifically into commentating?

Sixth form went Pete Tong (!) and I left after a year. I always knew I wanted to work in racing – I’d been calling races from the TV since I was ten – and ended up doing work experience at Southwell. They needed a race day presenter, so I jumped in and said I’d like to have a go, and it evolved into a full-time role.

Working there, I started shadowing the on-course commentators. Gareth Topham and Darren Owen were particularly helpful. Darren took me under his wing and got me a gig calling harness racing. I didn’t know anything about it, so had to learn the lingo quickly!

Will with fellow commentator Martin Harris

Gareth offered me my first point-to-point at Aldington in 2014 – I remember it well, because my first race was a dead-heat! I then got to know Chris Leigh, who commentated at a lot of Midlands tracks. He was retiring, so I did a couple of meetings with him, then he handed the baton over. I went from two to three a year into double figures quite quickly – you get phone calls out of the blue.

Action from Will’s first day calling at Aldington

What do you enjoy most about it and what are the biggest challenges in the role?

I enjoy the buzz of doing it and the atmosphere you can create. I try to paint a clear picture, which is particularly important for a holiday crowd. I like to try to get the crowd to react.

The commentary position at Aspatria

Challenges include rarely getting a colour race card and it’s difficult when horses are racing away from you. And some of the commentary positions can be interesting!

Will commentating at Friars Haugh

What are your favourite courses and why?

Dingley’s the best track to call at. You’ve got no excuses to miss anything, which can be dangerous, because the crowd can see everything too! It’s a great amphitheatre, and fantastic on a sunny day.

Garthorpe will always have a piece of my heart for being my first track, and I used to love Lower Machen for the scenery.

Will on duty at Godstone

Who have been your favourite horses?

I do two or three Larkhills a year and have seen some nice youngsters trained by Tom Lacey. I was lucky enough to call Energumene on his pointing debut, and was also impressed by Interconnected and Tea Clipper. I’ve called Hazel Hill a couple of times – how can you not love him? – and have a soft spot for the old boys you see again and again.

Which jockeys do you most admire?

Will Biddick’s different class. I saw him win on a horse called Athreeothree in the pouring rain at Lower Machen – it was a worldie of a ride, that lit up a horrible day. Gina Andrews is also fantastic for the game.

Who are your young riders to watch?

You can tell the obvious standout youngsters by watching the pony racing. I think Finn Muirhead will go far – he’s a stylish rider – and Luke Scott’s another good one, who’s also riding a fair few under rules.

What have been the highlights of your time commentating so far?

I’ve been lucky enough to do a few Coronation Cups at Larkhill, and calling Cousin Pascal at Revesby Park recently after he won the Aintree Foxhunters. I just enjoy commentating on nice horses.

Do you have any funny moments you can share?

I remember one day at Larkhill. There were nine or ten races, shedloads of runners, and the fog descended after the third race. I couldn’t see anything apart from the last fence so had to talk garbage for five minutes until the horses appeared!

And anything Sam Davies-Thomas says on the live streaming. I tweeted Charlie Poste at Mollington, saying, “Loving the live streaming with Sam ‘Yes, definitely’ Davies-Thomas.” Charlie read it out and Sam answered the next question with, “Yes, definitely.”

What are your ambitions?

To commentate at a rules track. That’s always been my dream.

What do you love most about pointing?

Everyone’s so welcoming – as soon as you turn up, you’re embraced quickly by the pointing fraternity and I’ve been lucky enough to make friends quickly. That’s made it easy to go from being a fan to being part of the sport.

What would you do if you were in charge of the sport?

Peter Wright has done a fantastic job, and initiatives he’s introduced like the four-year-old Maidens will help make British pointing more attractive. Prize money’s a problem, but everyone knows that.

What I’d do is have a national series of ‘Nationals’ – long-distance races with qualifiers and a final. I think that could be a bit of a talking point.

What do you think the effect of lockdown on pointing will be?

Hopefully we won’t lose too many horses and have diminishing field sizes – that’s a fear of mine. Having the big trainers like Station Yard and G & T Racing helps, but it wouldn’t be good to lose the one-person operations. I also hope that starting the season earlier won’t have too much of an impact later on in the season.

Did you watch much live streaming?

I watched plenty of it, and thought it was good – using the likes of Cornelius Lysaght and Andrew Thornton worked out well. Three or four years ago, we wouldn’t have contemplated live streaming and it was great for keeping the show on the road while the rest of us were staying safe and warm!

What would you be doing if you weren’t involved in racing?

To be brutally honest, I’m not sure. Maybe I’d have gone down the journalism route.

What are your non-horsey hobbies?

Mainly just sport. I’m a Nottingham Forest fan for my sins and watch them when I can. (I ask Will how a Derby lad can support their local rivals). Dad grew up near Nottingham and was a teenager when they won the European Cup. He used to have a season ticket when they were good!

Where is your dream holiday destination?

I’ve obviously seen plenty of the UK and love Northumberland in particular. And I’ve always wanted to go to South Africa – to watch cricket and look at the wildlife.

Who would be your ideal dinner party guests? Racing and non-racing

Racing-wise, it would be John Francome, for the number of tales he’d tell, watersheddable or not! I met him once – he told me a fair few then, and I’d like to hear more. Outside racing, Bob Mortimer – I really enjoy his comedy.

What are your favourite books and TV programmes?

I recently read a really good book about Barney Curley – The Sure Thing, by Nick Townsend. I also enjoyed the recent documentary about him – it was great that they managed to interview him before he died. He’d have been another interesting dinner party guest.