When Matthew Hill climbs the stairs to the broadcast box at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day he will be feeling pure excitement.

For 36 years the familiar voice of Greg Miles has echoed over the PA system, our radios and television screens, but on Tuesday it is Hill’s turn.

The 36-year-old finally takes the reins from his mate and mentor to call Australia’s feature race to an audience which he estimates to be more than 50 million punters worldwide.

“I’m not nervous, I’m looking forward to it,” Hill told The New Daily on the way to his pre-race ritual.

“The day before a big race I go and have a gym session and try and tire myself out a little bit to get a good night’s sleep.

“When you’ve got those horses running around in your head and because race calling is such a mental game the best option for me is to go and murder myself at the gym.

“It’s worked so far so I’m going to continue the trend.”

Matthew Hill said he was more nervous to call Winx at Derby Day than the upcoming Melbourne Cup. Photo: AAP

Hill regularly broadcasts to 11 countries, calling six Grand Nationals, five Golden Slippers, Australian Derby, Olympic Games and the Australian Open.

It’s been an exciting journey from his boyhood dreams in Altona and he is determined to make the most of the opportunity.

“Being from Melbourne I was brought up watching the Melbourne Cup, the Melbourne Cup week always had that special significance,” Hill recalled.

“When I was 15 I met Greg Miles, I sat in the box with him at Flemington, on a stool next to him and watched him call a few races and from that day on I was sort of obsessed to do it, to be a race caller.

A meeting with Greg Miles inspired Hill to become a race caller. Photo: AAP

“I’d hear in particular Greg Miles over the PA at Flemington and think ‘geez, what a great job’.

“I always remembered the races that he was calling and he would say something in a race and the crowd would react and give a cheer and that sort of really influenced me.”

Hill said he learned a great deal from watching his mentor Miles in action, and subconsciously picked up a lot of tips along the way.

The biggest thing Miles taught him was to stay in love with racing and to always remember “the five vowels” – “Accuracy, Entertaining, Original, to be Informative and to be Understood”.

“If you can get all of those in one package you’re halfway there,” Hill said, adding he wasn’t a great celebrator, and would quietly enjoy a scotch and Coke at home at the end of the day.

“I’m looking forward to it … The thing is with race calling it is probably the worst thing about it but also the most attractive thing about is we get one chance.

“For a racing fan like me that deeply loves the sport, who watches every race regardless whether it’s a bad race or a good race – the one race a year everyone in Australia is really interesting in and a lot of people around the world are interested in is just a thrill.”