SINCE our story - which is still on the home page - about the race-call of the Bernborough Handicap from Toowoomba on New Year's Eve we have had many calls concerning broadcaster Pat O'Shea.

The majority backed our suggestion - that in view of the serious illness he has been battling - perhaps his call of the main race suggested he should hang up his binoculars.

Having heard the circumstances surrounding that call - and we did admit in that story that Pat never missed a beat for the rest of the night - it would seem that there were excuses for his failure to identify the winner.

Some will say well how did he manage to get the rest right. It seems there were technical issues that affected both his broadcasting equipment and binoculars, not to mention the public address system on the night - that should have been sorted out beforehand.

Pat doesn't want to use his illness as an excuse and to his credit refused to raise what happened in the broadcast box that caused the embarrassment for him.

It is time that someone in an official position came out and told the racing public exactly what happened. Otherwise the calls on social media - which all we did was repeat - will continue for him to retire. If it wasn't his fault the correct facts need to be told.  

We understand that Racing Queensland and the Toowoomba Chronicle will be attempting to present the correct facts, hopefully the local newspaper will interview Pat O'Shea and get things out in the open: Here is what has been posted by an unidentified official on the TTC website:

THERE has been some comment on Toowoomba broadcaster Pat O’Shea’s call of the Listed Bernborough Handicap in Toowoomba on New Year's Eve.

I would like to clarify that his race call was hampered by technical difficulties in the Toowoomba broadcast box which interfered with Mr O’Shea’s broadcast equipment and binoculars.

This was very unfortunate and we apologise for any negativity this has created surrounding the race broadcast.

As we wrote in the original story on New Year's Day - after social media had plenty to say about the issue and many others contacted us - on the surface it did not appear one of Pat's better calls. We have the utmost respect for him and if it was not his fault then we are happy to run a story explaining exactly what did happen.