A television feature report on well known horseman Dave Wall is airing through Monday on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts on the London, Ontario A-Channel affiliate. The city's TV station is seen throughout the Province.
“We have a keen understanding that we are in the heart of the Ontario standardbred racing scene,” says A-Channel Sports Director Norman James. “On journalistic merit, we cover the big races at Western Fair and we report feature stories about the people. We also will take on issues such as driver flak jackets after the accident a few years ago involving Donnie Rankin Jr.
“As for Dave Wall, we got a sense he's one of the highest profile names in the area and in the entire Province,” he added. “It just seemed a natural fit to devote a feature to his career since he’s been nominated for the Canadian Horse Racing Hall Of Fame, and we’re in the camp that believes emphatically he should be inducted. It's certainly a story we'll following closely through 2009."
Now 62, Wall addresses in the report just how much longer he plans to keep up his extremely busy schedule of catch driving year round in addition to managing a stable of 30 horses with his training son Dean at their farm west of London near Komoka, ON.
"Really, there was never anything else I really wanted to do," Wall says in the feature story. "As far as keeping up the present schedule of driving horses, I feel I want to do it for close to five more years."
In the race bike, he'll compete in over 1,100 races again in 2008. Lifetime, Dave Wall is the winner of over 6,700 races and recently surpassed $57 million in career purses. The member of Western Fair’s Wall Of Fame with the likes of Jack Kopas and John Campbell is a five time winner of the Molson Pace (Rock N Wave ’79, Monkey Wrench ’84, Staff Director ’85, Jagger Hanover ’90, and Such Sparkle ’94).
In his extensive travels away from the London home base he’s won the North America Cup (Staff Director), The Maple Leaf Trot (Goodtimes) and The Breeders Crown (Odies Fame). In addition, Dave Wall is perhaps best known for the nickname ‘Mr. Ontario Sires Stakes’ with a list of conquests too numerous to list dating to the start of the provincial program in 1974.
“We find the horsepeople at the Western Fair paddock really co-operative when we arrive for interviews and to cover harness racing,” says London A-Channel TV reporter and weekend sports anchor Brent Lale who compiled the feature report. “In this case one of his fellow horseman, Greg Dustin, stepped up of his own free will to give a testimonial about Dave. The goal is to allow the viewers to see the people involved with the on-track action at Western Fair too.”
Two-Year-Old Watch
Bankers Bundle, a two-year-old gelding by Malabar Maple, made his racing debut on December 13 at Western Fair with a hard closing third place finish. This brother to $625,000 winner Porsche Hall is trained and driven by Terry Kerr for Bet Max and Benenati Stables of Michigan.
Wish N Win needed just two lifetime starts to get to the winner's circle. The Intrepid Seelster two-year-old filly won on December 12 in 2:05 on a very cold night for driver Bruce Richardson. The sister to Western Fair track record holder Wholly Louy, and recent OSS three-year-old colt pace champ Legal Litigator, is trained by Jim Watt for owner Morag Watt of Clinton, ON.
New Wrinkle To Preferred Pace
Tomorrow afternoon’s program at Western Fair should produce another explosive edition of the weekly Preferred Pace for a purse of $18,400.
This week, the field is handicapped by earnings in the last three starts. That means the Michigan Stakes champion, Talk Dirty To Me, will be starting from the outside Post 7.
When last in London on October 6, driver Kevin Hough and Talk Dirty To Me parked millionaire Our Lucky Killean to a 55:3 half but managed to hold second behind another Great Lakes State invader, Biletnikoff.
The stiff test awaiting the Michigan hopeful will see him matched up against accomplished rivals including Pacific Oak, XLB Patrick, Must Be Matt, Button Up, Cams Best Bet, Speakin Greek, and C Ws Special.
In the $15,200 Filly and Mare Preferred Pace on Monday afternoon, yet another Michigan competitor turns up in Post 2 starter Lulas Filly. The 8-5 morning line choice is St Lads Seraph, recently the runner-up in the three-year-old filly pace Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots Championship. She’ll take on a field of older rivals from Post 1.
2009 Post Time Change
As of January 5th and 6th, Monday and Tuesday post time at Western Fair is moved back half an hour to 3:35 p.m. eastern. The 2009 racing schedule will keep Friday and Saturday evening post time the same at 7:05 p.m.
The holiday season toy drive ends this Friday, December 19. A Granton Trailer is in the front lobby accepting new, unwrapped toys for London area children up to the age of 12 which will then by distributed by The Salvation Army.
Two more preliminary legs of the Holiday Handicapping Contest are set for the Monday and Tuesday afternoon programs of December 15 and 16. The top 10 finishers from the four preliminary legs return for the $2,000 cash prize round on Friday night, December 19. The contest is co-sponsored by the Ontario Harness Horse Association and Western Fair Raceway.
The London track’s busy holiday season schedule is coming up with the traditional Boxing Day matinee set for 1:15 p.m. on December 26 and the New Year’s Eve live card set for Wednesday, December 31 at 7:05 p.m.
(Western Fair Raceway)