Wendy Brown is one of the sport's enduring pioneers and her devotion to the sport remains undimmed.
The Cessnock-based trainer was among the first women permitted to handle a greyhound at the races.
"I took out a trainer's licence in 1970 but it was not until two years later that I was allowed to lead any of my dogs out onto the track,'' Brown said.
"Women could train but not handle greyhounds on race night.
"I believe Scone's Rita Izzard, with her great greyhound Roman Lou, was the first to lead one out in early 1972.
"I followed soon after.''
Wendy's husband John, a spray painter and panel beater, was born into the sport, with his father Les a trainer and his uncle, Andy Goldsmith, racing the top-notch greyhound Silver Student.
"John got his first dog in 1964, three years after we were married, and that greyhound, Secret Beauty, was beaten in a photo finish at $21 at her first start, up the straight at WYONG,'' Brown said.
Wendy and John Brown secured their best greyhound in the shape of Opal Eve.
"She won 36 races, taking out her final race in an Invitation Stake at Harold Park in 26.20 at the age of four years and nine months," Brown said.
"Because she was immature, Opal Eve did not begin racing until she reached two years and three months but she made up for lost time, winning the ARMIDALE and Wauchope Cups and shining in successive Country Championships at Wentworth Park.
"Opal Eve finished third to PRETTY SHORT in the 1984 final and won the 1985 final as a rising four-year-old.
"We have had a long association with Bill and June Barnett, who won the 1987 Paws Of Thunder with SEE YAH and for 20 years we've been close to Carol and Les Hudson, who bred and originally raced Black Magic Opal.
"For Bill and June we trained Sunshine Sheree, a finalist in the 1976 National Futurity and Julius Sunshine, who won three races at Harold Park and two at Wentworth Park.
"We bought a couple of smart greyhounds from the Barnetts too, Bronson's Duel who won the Maitland Derby and his sister Another Brava, winner of 25 races.
"Other good greyhounds we have had include Sally's Shadow, who won 14 races from 1997 to 1999 and was a PENRITH specialist, Which Black, winner of 23 of 115 races between 1995 and 1998 and Future Flight, who took out the Frank Kennedy Memorial at Richmond.''
And like most of Wendy Brown's greyhounds, Sentosa Isle was a durable sprinter who raced from October 2000 to early 2003, winning 29 of a remarkable 161 starts.
In more recent years Wendy Brown trained Monamour to win 21 of 96 starts between 2009 and 2011 and that greyhound's litter brother Smooth Manner, who won 18 of 100 races.
While Opal Eve's Country Championship victory in 1985 remains Wendy Brown's biggest thrill as a trainer, her major disappointment came just over four years ago when No Doubt died of snake bite.
"He had won 15 races, six of them at Wentworth Park, but was killed by a snake while spelling in January 2011,'' Brown said.
"It was heart-breaking because No Doubt was owned by Geoff Ackerman, a dear friend for more than 30 years, and his greyhound had a huge future.''
While Wendy Brown has been a successful trainer for over four decades, husband John has devoted a similar amount of time to the sport.
He has served on the committees of the Singleton and Cessnock clubs and the National Coursing Association.
Wendy's all-time favourite track was the now defunct PENRITH while these days she has a soft spot for The Gardens.
And while she was a huge fan of 1960s champions Roman Earl and Zoom Top along with Rapid Journey and her friends the Hudsons' Black Magic Opal, a lesser known greyhound gave her the most enjoyment.
"Like anyone who saw her, I loved watching Farraflash, whose style of racing in the mid-1960s was so exciting,'' says Wendy.
"Farraflash would invariably tail out a long last in 732 metre races at Harold Park and more often that not would get up and win, seeming to know where the winning post was situated.''
