Fresh voice in Hong Kong: Taking a punt paid off for John Blance

New Hong Kong Jockey Club race caller John Blance admits he "spent more time in betting shops than lecture halls" while at university, but the apparent miseducation has helped the Englishman land one of the plum broadcasting jobs in world racing.

The 35-year-old joins a new-look English-language broadcast team, replacing Darren Flindell, who left in March, and joining Brett Davis as the men behind the microphone.

"I got my education at university, but I got my racing education, too - reading the Racing Post," recalled Blance of his time studying politics in Leicester and then journalism in Edinburgh. "It was a nice way to fritter away a university grant."

I don't come from a horsey background, but very much a betting perspective

John  Blance

The racing bug had already bitten Blance far earlier - growing up in Newcastle his earliest childhood memories revolve around racing broadcasts beaming from the living room television.

"I can remember as early as being four years of age and my dad would be flicking between the sport and racing channels with a packet of fags and a big pile of betting slips beside him. I was fascinated by all sports, but particularly racing. So I don't come from a horsey background, but very much a betting perspective."

A job as a racing writer after university led to a stint as a presenter and analyst with British racing channel At The Races, where Blance first honed his craft as a commentator.

"I would have to call the occasional race off the monitor from the studio. It was a good education, calling racing on a variety of tracks from far-flung locations, and I decided I wanted to be a caller," he said.

"There is a roster of 17 or 18 callers in the UK and I finally got on the roster in 2012, doing about 80 to 90 meetings per year."

Former Jockey Club caller Jim McGrath had a huge influence in England after his stint at Sha Tin, inspiring a generation of budding sports broadcasters, and the Australian also played a part in Blance jumping at the opportunity to take up a three-year deal.

"I spoke to Jim about the offer and he was certain I should come, but I have always considered Hong Kong to be one of the best race calling jobs in the world anyway, and knew if I got a chance that I should do it," Blance said.

Happy Valley is tight and everything happens very quickly, but we have one or two tracks like that in the UK

John Blance

"I'm happy to be doing the presenting as well as calling, it's a nice job because I can do all facets of it."

Blance will soon be joined by another new face in the broadcast booth, Australian Edward Sadler coming via Singapore and Dubai as an in-studio analyst, and a replacement will need to be found for Clint Hutchison, who will relocate to his homeland of Australia at the end of this month.

Blance is confident he can adapt quickly to the pressure-filled racing of Sha Tin and Happy Valley once he begins calling full-time in mid-October.

"Happy Valley is tight and everything happens very quickly, but we have one or two tracks like that in the UK," said Blance, who comes to Hong Kong with a wife and young daughter.

"You've really got to be on your mettle and make sure you don't let the action run away on you. I'm really looking forward to getting going.

"Every racing jurisdiction has a different take on things, but the basic principles of race calling are just the same wherever you are in the world: make sure you know your colours, make sure you know the dimensions of the track and don't make an error."