Peter Bromley is coming into the final furlong of a commentary career which has spanned six decades.

But it is business as usual as he prepares for this year's Vodafone Derby - his last in the hot seat.

Bromley is retiring after 41 years calling all the big races for BBC radio, yet he wants no fanfare.

The 72-year-old will make his usual rigorous preparations and hope all goes well on the day.

"It certainly won't be emotional beforehand because it's just another race I'll have to get right," he says.

"I'll stay overnight in a hotel, work on the jockey's colours, have an early supper and get a good night's sleep.

"I will get to the course early, build up my racecard and prepare for the Derby at 3.50."

Bromley spent his childhood living near Cheltenham, the home of National Hunt racing.

He taught himself to ride on the hills around nearby Winchcombe and his experience on horseback has given him a unique insight from the commentary box.

"It's been an enormous help to be able to study tactics from a jockey's point of view," he explains.

"I do feel I'm in a position to give them more credit than most."

After leaving school, and a spell in the Army, he became a racing commentator before joining BBC TV in the 1950s where he briefly worked alongside Sir Peter O'Sullevan.

Bromley was switched to radio, and the two Peters became the twin voices of racing on the different mediums.

The radio commentator felt it was the right time to retire this year after calling his 200th Classic race.

Among his audio archive are some of the great Derbys, including most of legendary jockey Lester Piggott's nine victories.

Carson is understood to have kept a tape of the commentary and played it if he ever needed cheering up.

Bromley is equally at home calling the Grand National or Cheltenham Gold Cup as he is with Flat racing's Classics like the Derby and Oaks.

"I was once told to make your money on the Flat and friends in the jumping world."

He may well go out on a real high as favourite Golan bids to become the first horse since Nashwan in 1989 to do the 2,000 Guineas-Derby double.

"It looks as though he's got a Derby pedigree. If he stays sound, he's going to be very, very hard to beat. He could be another Nashwan or Nijinsky," declares Bromley.

Bromley's successor is due to be announced in the near future. He will be a hard act to follow.