by Dan Hutchinson
Luke Radich has swapped the glamour of the gallops for the long odds of the law, returning to Blenheim after seven years as Trackside’s frontman.
The 32-year-old Marlborough man has returned to his roots, taking up a position with the family firm Radich Law, set up by his father Peter and sister Miriam.
It is not the first time he has worked for the family firm after finishing law school 10 years ago, having started off at Radich Dwyer.
In 2000 he saw an advertisement for a presenter for Trackside and thought he would give it a go.
“It sounded like something I would be interested in. I had no broadcasting experience but I was always a very keen racing follower.”
He said it came about in a slightly unusual fashion as he sent away his CV and video before heading off on his OE.
“They got back to me a few weeks later when I was in Egypt in an internet café and wanted an audition and interview that weekend.”
So he waited at the Frankfurt Airport and caught the next available flight out. He did his interview and audition, got the job and then finished his World trip before returning to start his new career.
“It was not something I thought I had a natural ability to do and something I didn’t ever get really good at. I got up to a passable standard but it took a lot of hard work. Once you do it enough you are not nervous or anything.”
He said it took several years before he felt confident in what he was doing.
His bosses obviously saw if differently and he fronted most of the domestic racing and several overseas races where coverage from New Zealand was warranted.
His interest stemmed, oddly enough, from his childhood days when his favourite afternoon programme was cancelled.
“I really liked Olly Olsen and was cross that it wasn’t screening that day because something called The Melbourne Cup was on that channel instead. I had no idea what the Melbourne Cup was but watched it and soon became interested.
“Dad had horses but he was never really into racing, he just liked riding.”
He now has shares in several horses including the successful four-year-old pacer Veecmee that has won eight races. It was entered in the 2008 Harness Jewels at Cambridge last weekend.
He co-owns the horse with two local brothers John and Peter Forrest.
Luke said he enjoyed his time with Trackside but there was a limit to how far a person could go in racing commentary in New Zealand so he decided to brush off the old law books.
Eighty percent of his commentary was done from the studio in Wellington with occasional trips to the big meets around the country.
“I could have continued to do it forever and it would have been enjoyable on one level but not very fulfilling.
“It is like with any job, the most difficult thing about leaving is leaving the people you get to know. I made some good friends there.”
The highlight of his tenure with Trackside was commentating on the Cox Plate at Mooney Valley in 2005, a race won by Makybe Diva.
He did some legal work for the Racing Board and said getting back into law had not been as hard as he thought it would be.
The 32-year-old Marlborough man has returned to his roots, taking up a position with the family firm Radich Law, set up by his father Peter and sister Miriam.
It is not the first time he has worked for the family firm after finishing law school 10 years ago, having started off at Radich Dwyer.
In 2000 he saw an advertisement for a presenter for Trackside and thought he would give it a go.
“It sounded like something I would be interested in. I had no broadcasting experience but I was always a very keen racing follower.”
He said it came about in a slightly unusual fashion as he sent away his CV and video before heading off on his OE.
“They got back to me a few weeks later when I was in Egypt in an internet café and wanted an audition and interview that weekend.”
So he waited at the Frankfurt Airport and caught the next available flight out. He did his interview and audition, got the job and then finished his World trip before returning to start his new career.
“It was not something I thought I had a natural ability to do and something I didn’t ever get really good at. I got up to a passable standard but it took a lot of hard work. Once you do it enough you are not nervous or anything.”
He said it took several years before he felt confident in what he was doing.
His bosses obviously saw if differently and he fronted most of the domestic racing and several overseas races where coverage from New Zealand was warranted.
His interest stemmed, oddly enough, from his childhood days when his favourite afternoon programme was cancelled.
“I really liked Olly Olsen and was cross that it wasn’t screening that day because something called The Melbourne Cup was on that channel instead. I had no idea what the Melbourne Cup was but watched it and soon became interested.
“Dad had horses but he was never really into racing, he just liked riding.”
He now has shares in several horses including the successful four-year-old pacer Veecmee that has won eight races. It was entered in the 2008 Harness Jewels at Cambridge last weekend.
He co-owns the horse with two local brothers John and Peter Forrest.
Luke said he enjoyed his time with Trackside but there was a limit to how far a person could go in racing commentary in New Zealand so he decided to brush off the old law books.
Eighty percent of his commentary was done from the studio in Wellington with occasional trips to the big meets around the country.
“I could have continued to do it forever and it would have been enjoyable on one level but not very fulfilling.
“It is like with any job, the most difficult thing about leaving is leaving the people you get to know. I made some good friends there.”
The highlight of his tenure with Trackside was commentating on the Cox Plate at Mooney Valley in 2005, a race won by Makybe Diva.
He did some legal work for the Racing Board and said getting back into law had not been as hard as he thought it would be.
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