Wendy Brown and Maureen "Billie'' Sharman, who have been training greyhounds for a combined total of more than 90 years, have two of three heat winning qualifiers in Wednesday night's LADBROKES GARDENS To Wentworth Park Final.
Brown's Chimbu Park won her heat in 29.81 while Tee Tanga, trained by Sharman, scored in 29.98.
Fastest heat winner Oren Ishii, trained by Barry Gibbons, proprietor of a plumbing business, covered the 515m in a fast 29.63.
Brown and Sharman are among NSW's most successful and best known female trainers, with Brown having been a trailblazer for women in the sport.
"Before 1972 women were not permitted to lead a greyhound out for a race in NSW,'' Brown recalled.
"I took out my trainer's licence in 1970 but for the first two years my husband John was required to take my dogs onto the track.
"Rita Izzard, from Scone in the upper Hunter, made history when she took her champion sprinter Roman Lou out for a race in 1972 and I followed soon after.
"John and I were married in 1961 and we bought our first greyhound, Secret Beauty, three years later.
"Our best was Opal Eve, who we only got because her owners' regular trainer refused to have bitches in his kennels due to their racing careers being interrupted by seasonal conditions.
"We were indeed lucky to get her as she won 36 races in the mid to late 1980s, taking out her final event, a top grade sprint at Harold Park, at the ripe old age of four years and nine months.''
Maureen "Billie'' Sharman was tricked into buying her first greyhound when husband Eric suggested they buy a labrador pup to replace their pet kelpie who had died.
"Instead of labradors Eric took me to look at a litter of greyhound puppies and naturally they were so cute that I couldn't resist buying one,'' Sharman said.
"She raced as Princess Wales and won nine races before becoming our foundation brood bitch.
"Princess Wales was the mother of Demure Prince, who won 27 races including five at Harold Park, and of Queen Jilliby, whose son Lord Tanga won 19 races for us including the 1987 Tweed Heads Galaxy.
"We had Princess Wales as a family pet until she passed away at nearly 18 years of age while Tee Tanga, who is racing on Wednesday at Wentworth Park, is a descendant of our best greyhound Lyntanga.
"Lyntanga won 19 races, including the Richmond Oaks, and her prizemoney, along with the earnings of her offspring, enabled Eric and I to set ourselves up for life on a 12 hectare property at Muswellbrook.
"I was christened Maureen but because my father was desperate for a son he had constantly phoned the hospital asking if his little boy Billie had been born yet.
"When I was born dad was told 'you have a little girl' but he insisted on always calling me Billie and the name stuck.''
Oren Ishii, named after female samurai assassin in Japanese folklore, will be favourite for Wednesday's race.
Her owner-trainer Barry Gibbons learned the art of greyhound training through his father Barry senior and leading trainer Jason Mackay, who trained most of their dogs.
"For dad Jason trained Big Sam Banner, the 2002 NSW Greyhound of the Year, and Marlon Banner, who won 34 races, while we also trained our own such as Sparge Banner, winner of 21 races, and Whatuira Banner, whose 17 wins included the 2005 Maitland Gold Cup,'' Gibbons junior said.
"I had a break from the sport lasting eight years in order to establish my business, but got back into the industry when a friend, fellow trainer Luke Adams, recommended that I buy Oren Ishii.
"She has a lot of ability but just lacks the brilliant early speed required to be a top notcher on a track like Wentworth Park.''
Since their LADBROKES GARDENS heat wins, Oren Ishii and Tee Tanga have been unplaced in far harder races at Wentworth Park on Wednesday while Chimbu Park was an unlucky third at LADBROKES GARDENS on Tuesday night.
Tomorrow's box draw will decide which greyhound starts favourite on Wednesday, as the three heat winners would each be best suited from an inside draw at Wentworth Park.
Oren Ishii will go into the final with 11 wins from 37 races, while Tee Tanga has won 11 of 70 and Chimbu Park, already placed four times at Wentworth Park, has had six wins and 18 placings from 48 starts.
