Champion racehorse Sea The Stars completed an unforgettable three-year-old campaign in 2009, winning six Group 1 races in six months, culminating in his swansong: victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The man behind the mic for Sea The Stars’ final race was legendary race caller Jim McGrath. His voice echoed through the concluding stages of the Arc as he roared, “perfection in equine form, a horse of a lifetime.”
On Idol Horse’s podcast ‘The Race with Andrew Le Jeune’, McGrath reflects on his role in describing the action during Sea The Stars’ Arc triumph.
“You’re not the star, you’re never the star, and you shouldn’t be the star,” McGrath said. “The stars are the horses and the jockeys, as we know. However, our memories of races are quite often the commentaries that go with them.”
Replays of Sea The Stars’ Arc on social media platforms offer a clear testament to how McGrath’s now-famous call has become part of the memory. It isn’t uncommon to see comments such as “sends shivers down the spine” or “embedded in my consciousness,” referencing McGrath’s call.
“When there’s a very, very good horse, you really want to do him justice. And to do him justice as a commentator, you have to deliver an accurate and a good call and a call that actually paints the picture and actually interprets what’s happening in front of you. It’s very important that’s the case.”
Even though Sea The Stars was already a champion heading into the Arc, having won five straight Group Ones in his three-year-old season, McGrath believes there are moments in sport where athletes seem to defy the odds to claw back victory and Sea The Stars’ Arc win was one of those moments etched in time.
“Like all superstars, no matter what sport it is, there has to be one memory that actually comes to you and sort of illustrates just why he was a champion. And quite often, those champions have to get up off the floor and they have to produce an extraordinary performance to actually win.
“And that’s exactly what Sea The Stars did at Longchamp that day. He was in all sorts of trouble.”
Sea The Stars’ regular rider, Mick Kinane, initially found a handy inside position but soon found himself on the heels of other runners. This led to Sea The Stars racing keenly and being shuffled back through the ruck. He remained in a precarious position, boxed in among an 18-strong field. As French Oaks winner Stacelita took the lead from the 300-yard marker, Sea The Stars was looking for a way clear. It was at this point that McGrath honed in on Sea The Stars’ chances.
“I think in the call I said he’d have to be a champion to win from there. And of course, 50, 60, 70 yards later I said, I reckon he is a champion because he just somehow extricated himself from that pocket on the inside, got an opening, dashed through it, and then was able to finish with a real flourish. It was the mark of a champion, what he had to do and what he actually delivered.”