I’m sure horse racing fans of a certain age will remember Julian Wilson. He was always well-dressed, brushed-back hair, and spoke with a posh accent. He was a flamboyant, articulate and well received.
He came from a privileged background from high society.
I first got interested in horse racing back in the mid-1980s, a time of many racing pundits and commentators. I don’t know why, but to me, racing used to have a better feel than it does in these modern times.
Perhaps technology erodes authenticity.
Let’s take a look at Julian Wilson and learn about his career.
Julian David Bonhote Wilson, son of Peter, was born on the 21st of June 1940 in Sidmouth, Devon, England. He came from a very sporting family; his grandfather, Frederick, was a sports journalist for The Times and The Mirror. He was educated at Harrow and later at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he played first-class cricket for the Blues.
Julian Wilson was educated at Harrow School, a public school in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London. It is considered one of the most prestigious and elite private boarding schools in the UK. Famous alumni include Sir Winston Churchill.
He started his career as a junior reporter at the Noon Record, a Glasgow-based sports newspaper, earning £3 and 10 shillings a week. Later, likely in the early 1960s, he joined the Daily Sketch, the first tabloid newspaper, which had a Conservative leaning and was in opposition to the Daily Mirror. Wilson worked in sports journalism.
In 1971, the Daily Sketch merged with the Daily Mail.
Wilson started his career with BBC Television as a horse racing correspondent in 1966, initially as a sports commentator (1966–1992) and later as a television presenter (1979–1997). He spent his entire career with the BBC, including having editorial control over midweek racing coverage.
The Aintree Grand National was a major part of Wilson’s coverage as both a commentator and later a presenter. He called 24 races with Sir Peter O’Sullevan from 1969 to 1992. For his first Grand National, he covered the first four fences on both circuits. The following year, he covered the first 12 fences, which was considered a remarkable feat. Later, he would be stationed at Becher’s Brook.
Julian Wilson retired on the 27th of December 1997, with BBC Two showing racing from Chepstow, including the Welsh Grand National, won by Earth Summit, trained by Nigel Twiston-Davies.
Wilson’s autobiography, A Life In Racing: Some You Win, published by Willow on 5th October 1998 detailed his social lifestyle and provided a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at turmoil within the BBC and the corridors of power in horse racing. He gave a brutally honest account of living the high life.
His book also detailed a rift with Sir Peter O’Sullevan, revealing that he felt misled about succeeding the “Voice of Racing” upon O’Sullevan’s ‘retirement’. Wilson said he “felt betrayed” because O’Sullevan initially said he would retire in 1981, leading Wilson to turn down a commentary job with ITV. However, much to Wilson’s dismay, O’Sullevan later clarified that he was only retiring from journalism, not commentary.
Despite the rift, Wilson expressed admiration for O’Sullevan, stating: “I bow to no one in my admiration for Peter. He was the ultimate. He was a brilliant commentator—he set a standard to which we all aspired. He was a great colleague, and I was privileged to work with him.”
When O’Sullevan finally retired in 1997, the BBC chose Australian-born Jim McGrath as his successor.
Wilson was later succeeded by Clare Balding, with whom he was said to have had a strained relationship. He remarked: “She was beginning to get on my nerves.”
Wilson was also a racehorse owner, with horses trained by Lady Herries. His winners included the two-year-old Tumbledownwind and Royal Ascot victor Tykeyvor, who won the Bessborough Stakes.
Additionally, he served as a training manager for Sir Clement Freud.
Wilson was married twice and had one son, Thomas, from his first marriage to Carolyn Michael.
He passed away from prostate cancer on 20th April 2014, aged 73. He was survived by his second wife, Alison.
Jimmy Lindley, who worked alongside Wilson for many years, said: “He was probably the most astute person that’s ever been involved in racing. He loved life, he loved wine, and he loved people. He was a great man.”