The Racing WA TV team: More than just a broadcast for The Pinnacles

Long before they were in front of the Racing WA TV cameras, the team members were kids riding trackwork, absorbing Racing Radio with their grandparents, working in stables, poring over form guides, and dreaming of calling races. Their individual journeys into racing are remarkably varied, but the common thread of passion binds them.

For Tess Daly, Scott Embry, Mathew French, Alex Vlahos, Amelia Hall, Michael Heaton, and Lochie Taylor, racing transcends being merely a sport they cover; it is an integral part of their identity.

As five consecutive Saturdays of The Pinnacles are poised to take centre stage at Ascot Racecourse, the Racing WA TV team is meticulously preparing to showcase the very best of Western Australian thoroughbred racing.

The series will feature close to $11 million in prizemoney, three Group 1 races, and 16 black-type contests, drawing some of Australia's elite thoroughbred talent to Perth.

However, behind the spectacle of the major races, the large crowds, and the well-known names are the individuals and narratives that have perpetually imbued racing with its special character.

Daly's intimate connection to the sport is particularly insightful. Born into a racing family, she grew up around horses trained by her father, a trainer with over five decades of experience. Her mother was a skilled horsewoman and trackwork rider, and Daly herself began riding racehorses at approximately 11 years old.

Some of her most cherished childhood memories involve travelling to race meetings in the truck with her father, occasionally feigning 'horse flu' to avoid school.

Years later, after holding various positions such as clerk of the course, trackwork rider, stable foreperson, and racing manager, she now finds herself on the other side of the camera at Ascot.

"The five weeks of The Pinnacles in Perth truly lives up to its name, the pinnacle of racing here in the west," Daly stated. "Come Railway Stakes Day, the on-course feeling is like no other, the crowd is super, the horses look brilliant and the competitive racing is goosebump worthy."

Family connections are also central to Hall's relationship with racing. She recalls being the sole companion to her father at Ascot for the 2019 Perth Cup, where Star Exhibit achieved a surprise victory at odds of $31.

"The feeling after a big win in the mounting yard is unmatched, and I was so happy I got to share that moment with him," Hall shared.

These formative experiences have profoundly shaped her perspective on her own role within racing media.

"I love being part of the build-up to a big race and helping create and feel that excitement build," Hall commented. "I also love interviewing people after a big win and getting to see the emotion that comes with those moments."

For Embry, his racing journey commenced during school holidays spent with his grandfather, Gordy, in Geraldton. Racing Radio was a constant presence, and summer excursions to the Geraldton races became a regular family activity.

Subsequently, after extensive travel across WA with Racing WA TV, his appreciation for the sport's significance to its participants has only intensified.

"I've seen firsthand the joy that owning, training, riding, backing or simply following a horse can bring," Embry remarked. "There's so much raw emotion in racing. To some people, winning an Esperance maiden is just as satisfying as winning a Perth Cup."

This sentiment underpins the Racing WA TV coverage, which encompasses events from rural meetings hundreds of kilometres from Perth to major Group 1 races at Ascot, featuring fields from six to sixteen runners.

Embry finds particular satisfaction in "being able to showcase every inch of WA, from a six-horse race at Kununurra to a 16-horse Group One at Ascot."

Vlahos also shares a deep connection to WA's country racing circuit. His initial industry involvement was working for trainer Trevor Andrews as a 16-year-old during his school holidays, but his aspiration to become a racecaller had an even earlier origin.

After a period away from calling, Vlahos decided to pursue his childhood ambition once more. His inaugural race call at Norseman involved only a three-horse field, yet its importance stemmed from him finally achieving his lifelong dream.

Currently, his work takes him to racetracks throughout WA, including Kununurra, Carnarvon, and Esperance.

"The complete focus on WA," Vlahos stated regarding his appreciation for Racing WA TV. "It highlights everything that is positive about racing in our state. From the big days to the smaller clubs and communities. Also, the crew."

French's introduction to the sport was a continuation of his family's involvement, with his grandfather and great-grandfather both being trainers. His first professional role was serving as a valet in the jockeys' room for Steven Parnham.

Some of his earliest recollections involve attending races with his father, observing the horses in the parade ring and the activity within the bookmakers' ring.

Later, co-owning a horse with his family offered another perspective; the share was so inexpensive that, he humorously notes, the Uber fare to the races exceeded the horse's cost. The mare went on to win five races.

These experiences gradually fostered a deeper fascination with form and analysis, but the opportunity to witness WA racing in its diverse manifestations remains a cherished aspect of his job.

"It provides a chance to get out to so many regional areas and racecourses," French commented. "Being able to cover a sport we all love with great people in front and behind the camera."

Heaton's racing narrative originated over 500 kilometres from Ascot in Kalgoorlie. He grew up on a property used by trainers, rode in equestrian events throughout his school years, and later transitioned into owner communications and jockey management before studying journalism and entering racing media.

He still finds pleasure in returning to Kalgoorlie, but he acknowledges the distinct atmosphere at Ascot when WA's premier races are staged.

"It's WA racing headquarters with so much history, the best atmosphere, the biggest crowds and it's where the best horses race at the best time of the year," Heaton asserted.

Taylor also comprehends the impact of significant racing occasions. Observing Winx's victory in the 2017 Cox Plate sparked his fascination with how a race lasting merely over two minutes could command global attention.

Closer to home, he has since documented moments etched into WA racing folklore. Among these was Dom To Shoot's Northerly Stakes triumph, where Jarrad Noske narrowly defeated James McDonald in a photo finish, marking a maiden Group 1 success for Noske and trainers Sean and Jake Casey.

However, Taylor's greatest enjoyment from Racing WA TV stems from the collective passion driving the team.

"The passion all of my co-workers have for WA racing," Taylor stated. "They all have an incredible understanding and knowledge for racing in our state and I think that comes across in the broadcast."

This collective expertise will be thoroughly tested across five momentous Saturdays at Ascot.

The Pinnacles series commences with the $500,000 Placid Ark Stakes, escalating through the Group 1 Railway Stakes, Winterbottom Stakes, and Northerly Stakes, before concluding with the $1.5 million Gold Rush.

Furthermore, one particular race has ignited considerable discussion among the Racing WA TV team.

The Northerly Stakes.

Vlahos labelled it "the race of the carnival," envisioning a weight-for-age clash between prominent contenders like Cosmic Crusader, Buckaroo, Western Empire, and King of Light, potentially joined by some of WA's promising three-year-olds.

French, Hall, Heaton, and Taylor also have the Northerly Stakes prominently marked.

"Seeing the potential return of Cox Plate winner Cosmic Crusader in his own backyard to defend his title," Taylor remarked. "It doesn't get any better than that."

Daly, however, is looking in a different direction.

"The Winterbottom continues to take the cake for mine," she offered. "The most competitive sprinters we have here locally and the intrigue of our eastern state raiders. Will it be Overpass again? Or can one of our star locals gain Group 1 glory?"

For a team that immerses itself so deeply in racing, it is telling that their most treasured Pinnacles memories rarely focus solely on the winning horse.

They recall the individuals, the assembled crowds, and the palpable emotion surrounding the events. Embry remembers Inspirational Girl winning the 2020 Railway Stakes and the cacophony of the Ascot crowd chanting "Pikey" as William Pike returned to the mounting yard.

Vlahos recalls the intense anticipation surrounding unbeaten sprinter Barakey's 2012 Winterbottom Stakes triumph and the immense crowd celebrating Playing God's victory in the Kingston Town Classic two years earlier.

Heaton reminisces about the 2014 Super Saturday event, where Magnifisio claimed the Winterbottom Stakes and Elite Belle secured the Railway Stakes.

French poses a more straightforward question: "Will anything beat being on course for Munhamek?"

Hall remembers the extraordinary scenes that unfolded during Damien Oliver's farewell on Gold Rush Day.

For Daly, Jigsaw's victory in The Quokka stands out as a highlight.

Different horses, different races, and distinct reasons contribute to these memories, yet the underlying emotional resonance remains constant.

This is, in essence, what seven individuals, each with unique paths into the sport, will be seeking when the starting gates open at Ascot.

Daly cherishes the chance to connect with participants and narrate the stories unfolding on the track. "Sharing stories of hardship, luck, or even just all positives, being able to display that to the public is a very special feeling that I'll forever be grateful to be a part of," she expressed.

For Vlahos, the objective is to highlight all that is positive about racing in WA. For Embry, it is about acknowledging that the emotional highs of racing are not confined to Group 1 race days.

And for Taylor, it involves collaborating with colleagues who share a profound understanding and genuine affection for the sport they are covering.

Five Saturdays. Three Group 1 races. Nearly $11 million in prizemoney. Some of Australia's finest thoroughbreds and pivotal moments on the WA racing calendar are fast approaching.

The Racing WA TV team will be present for all of it, diligently telling the stories of a sport that has already provided each of them with a wealth of personal experiences.

All TABtouch Pinnacles race days will be broadcast live and free on Racing WA's 7plus channel and Racing.com, with coverage also extending to SKY Racing and SEN. The Railway Stakes, Winterbottom Stakes, Northerly Stakes, and Gold Rush races will also be broadcast on 7two.

When considering the upcoming races, checking the latest racing odds at online bookmakers can enhance your engagement with the action.