Vale - Eileen Robertson

Eileen Robertson, who trained the winners of four successive races at Ladbrokes Gardens last Friday, passed away on Tuesday, aged 69.

She had been diagnosed with leukemia just over eight months ago.

Last Friday Eileen won at Ladbrokes Gardens with Kenzie Robbo, Stylish Robbo, Tilly Robbo and Ted Robbo, cheering them home, alongside husband Gary, from her palliative care bed at the Mater Hospital.

"In the lead-up to those races Eileen had been supervising their training from her hospital bed,'' Gary said.

Two of the greyhounds were handled on her behalf by the Robertsons' grand-daughter Eloise, while the other winners were handled by Eloise's mother Rachael.

Rachael Robbo, one of the Robertsons' best greyhounds and a winner of 17 races in 2009 and 2010 and undefeated in six races over 515m at Gosford, was named after their daughter.

Eileen Robertson and husband Gary, based at Williamtown, have been among the Hunter Valley's leading trainers for several decades.

Eileen Robertson trained the first winner, Go Robbie Go, when the new Ladbrokes Gardens track was established at Birmingham Gardens, near Wallsend, over two decades ago.

Eileen and Gary Robertson have been married 50 years, with Gary becoming interested in greyhounds after being a copy boy at the Sydney Morning Herald in 1966 before transferring to the company's Sungravure offices in Rosebery.

His colleagues at Sungravure included Sammy Flevill, a successful trainer who later prepared the champion long distance siblings Fantasy Lady and Osti Too in the early 70s.

When I interviewed Gary several years ago he paid tribute to the late Sammy Flevill for his "invaluable" advice on greyhounds.

Before moving on to three acres (1.2ha) at Williamtown, the Robertsons trained successfully from a house block in the inner Sydney suburb of Annandale.

Gary recalled: "In 1974 Eileen was still exercising our greyhounds around the streets of Annandale just a few hours before she gave birth to our first child, Peter.''

Gary's first greyhound, Silver Cello, was a giveaway who gave him his first winner, at Wauchope in 1969, while Eileen and Gary's first city winner was Bert Robbo, on December 28, 1998.

Bert Robbo went on to win 14 races but the Robertsons always ranked Rachael Robbo as superior.

It was fitting that Eileen Robertson won four races at Ladbrokes Gardens last Friday, as she not only won the first race held at the Newcastle course but it has always been the family's favourite track.

Gary declared: "We always educate our 'babies' there and because of its shape we can take them direct from The Gardens to Wentworth Park if they are good enough.''

Greyhound Racing NSW wishes to extend its sincere condolences to the Robertson family and the many friends of Eileen Robertson on their loss.