Geller to succeed Loiselle as Woodbine announcer

A qualified speech pathologist, having graduated from the Lincoln Institute

of Health Sciences with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in communication

disorders, Geller worked in a variety of positions as a speech pathologist

including St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne.

Geller pursued his passion for calling races on the weekends, eventually

earning part-time work calling harness, greyhound and Thoroughbred racing in his

home state of Victoria.

He took his first official job in 1984 at Wangaratta, calling 10 race days a

year. His calendar began to quickly fill up, appointed as the course commentator

across the four tracks in the north-east of the state, expanding to Benalla,

Tatura and Wodonga along with summer duties on the picnic circuit at Wonthaggi

and Woolamai Racing Clubs along the Mornington Peninsula.

In 1989, Geller pursued an opportunity with the prestigious Royal Hong Kong

Jockey Club becoming the English-speaking race caller at Happy Valley and Sha

Tin, a role he held for 6 1/2 years.

He left Hong Kong for Washington State in 1996 to become the track announcer

at Emerald Downs for its inaugural season and has been their race caller since.

Since its 2000-01 season, Geller has also taken on announcer duties at

Sunland Park in New Mexico and will continue in that capacity.

"Ever since my first visit to Toronto in 1993 when I saw Peteski win The

Queen's Plate, I have felt an affinity for the track and the city. To be asked

to follow on from Dan Loiselle as the next voice of Woodbine is an honor,"

Geller said. "I am especially excited to call turf races again. I look forward

to bringing my years of experience to such a world-renowned track and to build

on the skills that I have developed through both Emerald Downs and Sunland Park,

as a new member of its dynamic broadcast team."

On July 5, Geller will call his first Queen's Plate, succeeding Loiselle, who

has been the familiar voice of the "Gallop for the Guineas" since 1987. Loiselle

began his career with Woodbine, then known as the Ontario Jockey Club on August

1, 1967 as an assistant race secretary in the Standardbred division and backup

announcer. The 63-year-old native of Scarborough announced at the end of the

2014 Woodbine meet that he would bring his 29-year-career to a close on May 31.

"Robert is an elite announcer and a class act, and I wish him the very best,"

Loiselle said. "It has been an absolute honor for me to announce Canada's

greatest races, and I am confident Robert will be embraced by Canadian racing

fans, and will find a tremendous following in this country."

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