The Bill & Peg Miller Memorial was among the feature races held at Friday night's Brother Fox Dubbo Cup meeting so it was timely that Rema's Fernando won for 84-year-old Eddie Foyle at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
After Rema's Fernando stormed home out wide for a $34 win, Foyle explained: "Rema's Fernando has descended from my foundation bitch, Princess Rema, which I bought from Bill Miller.
"I had gone to Bill's property to buy an expensive greyhound but when she had already been sold, Bill talked me into buying the much cheaper Princess Rema.
"He assured me she would be a good race bitch and a terrific producer and he has been proved spot on as I have enjoyed a lot of success with her offspring and their sons and daughters, one of which is Rema's Fernando.
"Considering Rema's Fernando had rattled home to finish second at his only previous WP start, I was surprised he was sent out at such a long price tonight.
"But while he won over 520m tonight I expect him to really shine when he tackles 618m at Richmond.''
The go-ahead Nowra club's 2022 Puppy Classic, to be held in April, will be elevated to group 2 status and offer $40,000 first prizemoney, up from $25,000 this year.
Nowra, or The Pine Bowl as it is fondly known, is truly one of the sport's success stories.
Founded in July, 1971, Nowra staged its first non-TAB race meeting on January 30, 1976, graduating to TAB status 12 years later.
But along with CESSNOCK, Nowra succumbed to legal battles involving other parties and ceased racing in 2006.
Unlike CESSNOCK, Nowra was able to resume six weeks later, again on a non-TAB basis, and is now among the most successful and thriving venues in NSW.
Nowra even launched its own greyhound adoption program in 2018.
Modern day trainers who rely on hand-slipping, trials, walking machines and even swimming to condition their greyhounds must shake their heads at the traditional, old-fashioned methods adopted by their former colleagues, notably the legendary Charlie "Chicka'' Morris.
Morris, who trained from a house block in Swansea, near Newcastle, won 80 of 100 pro boxing bouts under famed fight trainer Jack Dunleavy before switching his attention to greyhounds as a 24-year-old in 1930.
When he retired four decades later, Morris, who trained nearly over 5500 winners in a remarkable career, estimated he had walked nearly 80,000 miles (nearly 129,000km) exercising his dogs.
One milestone Morris achieved that will never be broken - if for no other reason than animal welfare concerns - was when his greyhound Our Dale won three races on the same night at Dale">ARMIDale in 1940.
Our Dale not only won each race but broke three track records in the process.
