Behind the Microphone
Naqeeb Munshi’s Journey to the Spotlight
Above: 4Racing's Naqeeb Munshi (image: JC Photos)
In under three years behind the microphone, Naqeeb Munshi has established himself as one of South African racing’s most promising voices. He recently called his 1,500th race, a milestone that reflects both his steady progress and his growing presence in the industry. Fellow commentator Alistair Cohen describes him as “unflappable,” a fitting compliment in a profession where every word is under the spotlight. Speak to Naqeeb, and you meet a young man with surprising emotional maturity and a calm temperament that the role demands.
Naqeeb made his first race call at 19 and, now 21, has already navigated the testing late-teen years in the company of seasoned professionals, much like fellow callers Cohen and Clyde Basel once did. In Gauteng’s ‘Lion’s Den’ — the commentary box — he has settled in with patient guidance, plenty of laughs, and the occasional mistake.
Racing runs in Naqeeb’s blood, as a relation to the prominent Mansour family. His own journey began in 2015 when his grandfather showed him how to place a bet. “It was on Legal Eagle,” he recalls. “I can’t remember the race, but I put R6 on him to win and got back about R20. It was a wonderful feeling. The bug bit me right there.”
During a few bored afternoons in the Covid lockdown, he would switch off the sound and call races off the television, purely for fun. “I practised calling for all tracks, but only did it when my parents were outside and couldn’t hear me,” he laughs. “I have no problem broadcasting races to a track or TV audience now, but I’m still shy at home, and I don’t like it when my mother posts comments about me on social media!”
Naqeeb’s first professional break came through 4Racing’s ‘Racing4Real’ promotion. At the last minute, he submitted a few voice calls to Clyde Basel. “I wanted to do it, then decided not to,” he recalls. “But on the last day of submission, I saw a video of another candidate — a shirtless guy calling a race from his bed — and I thought, what the heck, I may as well try. I didn’t expect anything, but then Clyde’s PA phoned out of the blue. I was summoned to Turffontein, and that’s where it all began.”
After his test runs, senior commentator Nico Kritsiotis suggested he “get the presenting bit out of the way first.” Naqeeb, however, dove straight into the deep end. “Presenting came easily to me,” he says. “Calling was harder, so I wanted to tackle that first.” He has since presented for live crossings from the interviewer’s podiums as well and adds, “I still think it’s the easier part. It comes naturally once you get to know the owners and trainers being interviewed.”
Above: Naqeeb, Nico and Dubai commentator, Pat Comerford (image: JC Photos)
Naqeeb rates Kritsiotis and Basel among the best race callers in the world, alongside Englishman Mike Cattermole, and feels privileged to have had both as mentors. His training began with the basics: learning the silks, calling runners to the start, and mastering the procedures before off-time. “I practice all the time,” he explains. “I walk around with my Computaform all day, memorising the silks and testing myself, especially right before a race. I prefer learning them close to race time rather than the night before, and I take the same approach with tricky names.”
Every caller is bound to make the odd mistake, but Naqeeb believes that studying form — and selecting likely winners — helps build both memory and confidence. “I’m getting better at reading form, which is essential when you’re presenting at the parade ring,” he says.
Fairview is Naqeeb’s favourite track. A regular Friday traveller to Gqeberha, he enjoys the close-knit Eastern Cape racing community and the welcoming atmosphere on course. With fewer silks to memorise, he finds the workload a little lighter and has built strong relationships with owners, trainers, and travelling jockeys.
Calling at Fairview has its own challenges. On the Polytrack, a horse that looks like the pacemaker may actually be running second, while on the turf, close finishes can be tricky to judge. “Nico Kritsiotis told me early on that the turf usually favours the outside horse,” Naqeeb says. “That advice has helped me a lot.” Another key lesson has been committing to a single runner in a head-to-head finish rather than defaulting to “too close to call.” “When you back one horse in a two- or three-way finish, it builds confidence. Nine times out of ten, we get it right.”
Most callers combine binoculars, the naked eye, and television monitors to hone their craft. Even in today’s high-tech era, Naqeeb says binoculars remain indispensable. He uses them for most of the race, typically putting them down 250 to 300 metres from home, depending on the track’s angles relative to the commentary box. “Binoculars are especially useful for seeing exactly what happens behind the stalls before a race, something the on-course cameras don’t always capture,” he notes.
While technical glitches are rare, the mere possibility is a source of concern, as they can throw a caller off balance. He recalls a day at Turffontein when Nico Kritsiotis was on the mic and the entire counter holding the TV monitor and microphone collapsed. “We frantically scrambled to hold it up for Nico, who completed the race flawlessly, but it could easily have turned ugly,” he says.
Naqeeb’s most embarrassing moment came at Turffontein on 15 March, when owner Larry Nestadt had runners in Races 5 and 6, both wearing royal blue silks. “Radicchio was in Race 5 and Night Bomber in Race 6,” he recounts. “I called Radicchio correctly, but half an hour later, that name was still in my head and I called Night Bomber as ‘Radicchio’ for the entire race. Night Bomber finished third, and I only realised after the race that I’d been calling him by the wrong name!”
There have been exhilarating moments too. His most enjoyable so far was when Alan Greeff’s Golden Palm won the SA Fillies Nursery at Turffontein on 29 March. “That was a special race to call,” he says, “because it was a rare Highveld win for Greeff with a champion filly, and I have a particular affinity with Eastern Cape racing.”
Looking ahead, Naqeeb dreams of calling South Africa’s major races — the HWB Durban July, the Betway Summer Cup, and the Cape Met — and he hopes for greater cooperation between the racing operators, not only because it could help him achieve those ambitions, but also because it would strengthen the sport overall. He would also like to call a race or two in England, something that both Clyde Basel and Rouvaun Smit have already ticked off their own bucket lists.
For now, Naqeeb has his whole career ahead of him, with many years to pursue his dreams. Meanwhile, he is also about to complete a bachelor’s degree in Criminology. “I started it at Unisa some years ago, initially thinking of a career in criminal law,” he explains. “I’ve lost interest in that path, but it’s worth finishing because I’m so close.”