It was not the familiar voice of probably the best ever race caller in Jamaica's racing history, Brian “Spuddy” Rickman.
Instead over the two days of racing last weekend, punters started to wonder who was actually commentating on some of the races, and this new voice came with a foreign accent, a Trini accent no less.
There was a new voice in town and it was that of Trinidadian, Nic Chadee.
Chadee got things rolling in the second of 12 races on Saturday's Jamaica Derby Day and in his first commentary, he produced a 47-1 upset winner in the form of Holy Light.
“I was invited here by the chairman of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, Solomon Sharpe. He contacted me last week and asked if I would like to come and be a guest here at Caymanas Park and obviously I said yes because, I am here,” Chadee said.
Chadee, who has also commentated in Guyana and in North America, said that it would be a pleasure for him, if given the opportunity, to return to Jamaica as his first experience in the island was happy ground for him.
“Caymanas Park is absolutely beautiful. Everybody has been very friendly and very, very welcoming and nice, it's a case of so far, so good for me. Absolutely, without a doubt, I would return to Jamaica if given the opportunity to.
“I have been to Guyana five times to their races on their major days. I have been there three times this year already. Other than Guyana, I have been to Ellis Park in Kentucky and Belmont Park in New York,” the TT's global commentator shared with this publication.
While in the profession for over 19 years, Chadee said his job as a racetrack announcer has its benefits but it a very difficult one to do.
“It is pretty difficult and most people don't understand how difficult it is because you have a minute to remember 16 horses in a race and you don't have a chance to slip. So, you know you have to always be concentrating.
“For me, when I call a race, sometimes I have to look back at the replay immediately just to see what was the result is because when I call the race, I am in a zone and so you can't really remember as you are in a sort of zone. It is pretty difficult,” Chadee pronounced.
Chadee, who departed the island last Tuesday, said that commentating is his life and he enjoys what he does.
“Always love the sport. My father has always been a racing enthusiast and I guess from I born to now, I have been going to the track.
“I love commentating. Horse racing commentary is my life. I am 38 years old and I have been doing this for 19 ½ years, that is a lifetime,” Chadee said.
