Tributes paid to voice of BBC racing

Peter O'Sullevan yesterday led the tributes to Peter Bromley, BBC Radio's voice of racing for more than 40 years who has died at the age of 74.

Bromley retired after commentating on Galileo's Derby victory in 2001.

He called home the winners of 202 Classics and will also be associated by many with Red Rum's three Grand National triumphs in the 1970s.

Bromley, who had fought a 15-month battle against pancreatic cancer, died on Monday night.

O'Sullevan, a long-time commentator on BBC television, was quick to underline the good work Bromley did not just for broadcasting but also for the sport.

"We worked a long time together. In 1958 he was working for a television company and he had an opportunity to go to radio. But Peter Dimmock, who was in charge of outside broadcasts at that time, told him to stay on TV and not to go to radio - because Peter O'Sullevan wouldn't go on for ever and he would be next in line," he explained.

"We had a running joke for many years afterwards that he would have been the longest-serving understudy in broadcasting!

"He was a good broadcaster and a good advocate for racing in general, not just for commentating.

"Peter was a very, very nice man, a good colleague and he has done a lot for broadcasting and the sport," he added.

Bromley's broadcasting role began when injury curtailed his career as an amateur jockey - and he gave his first BBC Radio commentary at Newmarket on May 13, 1959. He commentated on his first Derby 42 years ago when 66-1 chance Psidium sprang a surprise.

Bromley's career behind the microphone was virtually uninterrupted as he called all the Derbys between 1961 and 2001. He worked for the Light Programme, Radio 2 and Radio 5 Live when the BBC had a contract with the Racecourse Association to cover all the big races.

Bromley retired to Suffolk to continue his hobby of training gun dogs.

Peter Salmon, director of BBC Sport, was one of a number of broadcasting figures to acknowledge the contribution he made.

"Peter Bromley set the gold standard for horseracing commentary on British Radio. His voice and expertise defined the sport for audiences," he said.