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calling a race with a hoarse throat ain't much fun... but it's funny!

Adelaide harness racing Jim Jacques has been calling races for years, he's a legend of the sport. But on Monday he decided to work when the doctor would probably have told him not to....

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Hoarse whisperer just squeaks home

The 48-year-old, known as the voice of harness racing in South Australia, had felt a niggle in the back his throat in the lead-up to yesterday's event at Globe Derby Park but, never one to throw a sickie, had turned up to his job with Radio TAB regardless.

That decision came back to haunt him towards the end of the first race when, several hundred metres from the finishing line, his rapidly fading voice gave out completely, and hilariously.

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Jacques said he had had a blocked nose for about two months, which worsened during trip to Brisbane last week when he was caught in the rain.

Despite his croakiness he battled through commentary commitments on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, aided by a heavy dose of honey-lemon drinks.

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"I was trying to use my diaphragm a bit more. I changed my voice to a gruff voice and it was coming out ok, I thought I'd get by. By the time I got about 300 metres from home I thought, 'No I'm stuffed, I'm not going to make it'.

"I could see some of the horses getting tired, and I thought 'Well gee, I'm getting more tired than them'."

Meantime Jacques' daughter and wife had tuned in at home especially for the call, knowing in advance that he would struggle.

"They were at home, they were pissing themselves laughing because it was so ridiculous," he said.


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