Capturing history on horseback

  It’s one of racing’s most distinctive sights – a horseback reporter capturing the moment immediately after a race. Few have done it better than John ‘Lettsy’ Letts, who pioneered the practice in Australia and turned it into something of an art form. A two-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey himself, Letts knew exactly what it felt like to hit the line first at Flemington, especially in that iconic
race.

“Nothing means as much to a jockey as winning the Melbourne Cup,” he said. “Your life changes immediately.”

Letts’s own Cup breakthrough came in 1972 on Piping Lane, his first ride at Flemington. Decades later, he became part of the Cup’s story once more – interviewing winners on horseback atop his trusted stock horse, Banjo, for 21 years. “I got a thrill out of knowing how the jockeys felt,” he says. “A lot of the guys, I rode against their fathers, so it was special to see their sons reach that moment.”

His time behind the microphone produced some unforgettable moments – Damien Oliver’s emotional 2002 win on Media Puzzle is one of his favourites, as is the nearly wordless 2006 interview with Japan’s Yasunari Iwata after Delta Blues. “He didn’t speak a word of English and I didn’t speak a word of Japanese,” Letts said. “I think there were five words in the whole interview."

Another memorable win was in 2005. In his position waiting beyond the finishing post, Letts was not always sure who had won. But on this day, there was no doubt – when Makybe Diva raced to her third Melbourne Cup victory. “It was like a jet landing – all I could hear was the roar. It drowned out everything else. I just thought, she’s done it.”

Through it all, his pony Banjo became as recognisable as his rider. “He was just part of the furniture,” Letts said. “Each race day, he’d eat about five metres of roses. By the end of the carnival, they’d all be gone.”

The newest face in the saddle is Billy Slater, better known for rugby league than racing. Before his NRL career, Slater worked as a teenage trackwork rider for Gai Waterhouse, and his return to the saddle for the 2024 Melbourne Cup Carnival as Channel 9’s mounted interviewer was a natural fit. “It’s a really surreal moment,” he said last year.

“I get the opportunity to grab and talk to the jockeys directly after they win some of the biggest races of their career. Really pinching myself at the moment.”

For Slater, the role was the perfect combination of his two greatest passions – sport and horses. As a lifelong racing enthusiast, he and his wife, Nicole, operate a small breeding business, giving him a real understanding of the industry and a genuine respect for the animals. His relaxed style and horsemanship quickly made him popular with viewers. He even joked about running out of questions after
James McDonald’s string of early wins during Cup Week. But, like Lettsy before him, he recognised that the best postrace moments are never pre-scripted, but about sharing the emotion: the passion, the relief, and the excitement.

Charlotte Littlefield has also become a familiar face beyond the post as the mounted interviewer for Racing.com, bringing a trainer’s insight and calm authority to the role. A former international rider who built her own stable from the ground up in Victoria, Littlefield didn’t initially plan on a media career. She first took on the position during a challenging period for her business – an opportunity to raise her profile and stay connected to the industry. Combining her two passions – being around horses and talking to people in the moments after their greatest achievements – is a job she feels fortunate to do. “How easy is that? It is honestly the most brilliant job you could ever imagine,” she said.

Though they make it appear effortless, the mounted interviewer’s role requires precision, empathy, and composure, often amid chaos. It’s about capturing the feeling of victory while the heart is still racing and the story is still alive.