It was a few hours early, but the win of Rema’s Amethyst at Richmond on Wednesday was the perfect birthday gift for trainer Edward Foyle.
On Thursday Edward celebrated his 88th birthday, and anyone who might think that the winners or training career might be winding down, is seriously mistaken.
“I’m enjoying the game overall because it's keeping me going,” Edward said. “I’m walking around the park morning and night, and I'm going to races. I'm keeping pretty busy all the time.
“No there’s no talk about giving it away. Some people say to me now you'll be bloody 100 and having another next litter.
“I’ll keep doing it while I’m still walking like I am now, and still got me senses and I'm not going backwards, and I'm very good at the moment. You know, I'm pretty good nick.
“I do a lot with them and they keep me going, and that's a good thing.”
Edward has spent the past six decades involved in the sport after being introduced by his brother-in-law Ron Roberts, father of one of our leading trainers, Charmaine Roberts.
“Ronnie Roberts was a well-known in the game and he was buying a dog and said to me are you interesting in going in it with me? I said why not, I’ll come along and we bought a dog called Big Henry and he won for us first-up at the old Richmond track, and there was me jumping the fence and kissing the dog.
“That’s long while ago now, but I was hooked, and I've bred and trained and owned a lot of dogs since then. When Ronnie died three years ago, I kept going, and this litter I’ve got now, they're a pretty good litter.
“My niece at Dubbo, Charmaine, she reared this litter for me and I only wanted three or four dogs at my age, so I said you keep four and I will keep three, and I’ve already had great success with my three.”
Rema’s Amethyst is just one of many greyhounds to carry the Rema’s prefix. There’s been Copper, Jade, Amber, Gold, Emerald and Opal to literally name just a few.
“The name comes from the first bitch Ronnie and I bred with, Rema’s Puzzle, who's was out of Solve The Puzzle and after that we just kept going with that name,” he explained.
“We have had some good ones over the years. We've had six track records all up, one on a trial track and five on racetracks with these dogs, and they have been pretty good to me. Ronnie and I used to punt, but now I just enjoy the prizemoney.
“Rema’s Gold was probably the best. He was a brilliant dog, very fast, and broke the record at The Gardens and Dubbo, and another one I had who was very good was Rema’s Fernando who was by Fernando Bale.
“Rema’s Fernando won an $8,000 final at Wentworth Park for me. That was one of my biggest wins. He was a good dog who won about $40,000, but the one I sold to my mate Greg Sutherland, Smart Fernando, he won about $90,000. It was good litter that won around $200,000 in prizemoney.
“We had some good ones along the way, but this litter now by Feral Franky out of Rema’s Jade is one of the best litters I have broken in. They have all won either first up or the next week. You’ve got to be pleased with that.”
Happy birthday Edward, here’s to many more birthdays and winners.
