William Henry Collins OAM (23 September 1928 – 14 June 1997) was an Australian racecaller and radio and television personality who earned the reputation for being able to accurately call the winner of even the closest of races. Known as "The Accurate One", he was well known for his call of the Melbourne Cup each year. One of his most notable commentaries was the 1986 Cox Plate, dubbed the "Race of the Century". Collins also called important races internationally including the UK, US, South Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. Collins died on 14 June 1997 from cancer. Radio and television broadcasting Collins' radio career began in the early 1950s in Sale, Victoria, and in 1953 he moved to Melbourne where he worked as a racecaller for the radio station 3DB, and appeared on television hosting the musical comedy program Sunnyside Up at HSV-7, leading to a Logie Award in 1959 for Outstanding Performance. He would later host the Saturday Night "Seven's Penthouse Club" along with Mary Hardy from 1970 until 1978, an unusual series which mixed Variety entertainment with Night Trotting . Bill called his last meeting at Caulfield in April 1988 Order of Australia In 1988, Collins received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his services to the media as a broadcaster and journalist, and was also inducted into the "Australian Racing Hall of Fame". He called his last race on Easter Saturday 1988 on radio 3UZ, as 3DB had already dropped its racing coverage. Legacy In 2004, he was honoured posthumously at the Moonee Valley Racecourse, home of the W.S. Cox Plate, with the 'Kingston Town Greatness Award' for his services to the event. Moonee Valley Racecourse also featured the Bill Collins Mile for trotters, which is now run at Cranbourne. A monument to Collins was unveiled in 2013 at Caulfield Racecourse. Memorable Calls 1954 Melbourne Cup "Here's Rising Fast going after him at every stride, Pandie Star behind them and then coming home well Commodore. Rising Fast has hit the front from Gay Helios at the furlong post, Hellion coming from the clouds on the outside, Rising Fast is too far in front however and in the run to the post Rising Fast going to win the Melbourne Cup by two lengths from Hellion!" 1965 Melbourne Cup "A furlong and a half to go and Ziema's hit the front, Light Fingers under the whip