RTÉ Radio Sports Commentators

Des Scahill will forever be associated with Dawn Run winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1986. His race commentary is one of the most famous in all Irish sporting history. Scahill did his first commentary for RTÉ Radio at the Leopardstown Chase Day in 1973 when he was filling in for Micheal O'Hehir, who was then the manager of Leopardstown Race Course. For almost thirty years, Des Scahill commentated on horse racing for RTÉ Radio. He was also greyhound-racing commentator for RTÉ Television. Throughout this career, he covered racing from around the world, and in 2000 he commentated on the Dubai World Cup for the BBC. Scahill continues to cover racing, and is today the Irish Race Course commentator.

Colm Murray speaks to Des Scahill about commentating in the build-up to Cheltenham in 2001. Des Scahill remembers his commentaries on Secreto's Derby win and Dawn Run's Gold Cup win.

Note: this report was never broadcast. It was to be part of a preview of the Cheltenham Festival, but the foot and mouth outbreak of that year meant that Irish horses did not travel.

Secreto, trained by David O'Brien, just beats El Gran Senor, trained by David's father Vincent O'Brien, to win the Derby at Epsom.

Here is Des Scahill commentating on the great finish of Dawn Run in winning the Gold Cup. Dawn Run made history by becoming the first horse to win both the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup at Cheltenham.