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Often Heard, Seldom Seen…
One of the south’s sporting icons, racing commentator Dave McDonald, will be honoured for reaching 40 seasons of race calling at the Invercargill Harness Racing Club’s opening meeting of the season at Ascot Park Raceway in Invercargill on Saturday.
The New Zealand Racing Board have organised a function on course that will be attended by many of McDonald’s past and present colleagues to mark the milestone. The feature race of the day will be the Thanks Davey Mac For 40 Years Mobile Pace timed for 4.30pm.
McDonald only learned of the plans recently and says he was “stunned and shocked” when he found out. “I am planning to enjoy the day and I am looking forward to seeing the guests that attend.” The public will also get an opportunity to pay tribute to the long standing local favourite when a presentation is made in the birdcage prior to the Thanks Davey Mac race scheduled for 4.30pm.
McDonald’s first commentary was at a harness meeting during the 1977/78 season – 40 seasons ago now – and he has been full on ever since with galloping and dog commentary work being added to his portfolio over the years. His first gallop meeting was at Tapanui on 10 December 1977 and his first greyhound commentary was when the code raced at Woodlands.
“l was always keen as a kid. I started commentating at trials when I was fifteen, in fact I used to wag school to do them. It built from there!”
“When George Hayward passed away I started commentating lots of meetings. I was happy, working as a fireman and I did both jobs for a while but eventually I had to find other full time work to accommodate my race calling.”
Looking back at the highlights of 40 seasons Dave says it is all about people. “They have been outstanding, there are such nice people in all three codes. I came from a harness background but the galloping people really looked after me. Guys like Rex Cochrane, Ray Pankhurst and Ted Winsloe. Cochrane was one of the nicest people. In harness racing Harry Cox was so good to me – I was only a kid when I started. Looking back at some of the good horses I remember calling Bonnie’s Chance first race and of course Sapling. I saw Young Quinn when he came back from the States and Henry Skinner had Forto Prontezza and Lento.”
“One of the best memories was when Matai Dreamer won the Kindergarten Stakes – I was very young but it was the first time I remember feeling and tasting the emotion in the crowd.”
While there have been many good memories McDonald admits that there have been some tough times too. “It hasn’t always been fun,” he says as he remembers the accidents that befell jockeys Sam McRae and Ashlee Mundy. He also just wants to thank the public, “for putting up with me for 40 seasons. The punters have been great people and I hope they have got hold of a winner off me.”
The ace race caller was awarded the Service To Sport Award at this years Southland Sports Awards.
Those who have enjoyed and benefited from Dave’s calls and tips over the years are welcome on course on Saturday to share a day with the man himself.