David Lewis
IT was during the week of the Carlin & Gazzard Mount Gambier Cup that long-time local greyhound racing stalwart Connie Miller passed away at the age of 76 after a long illness.
Perhaps the timing was significant given that she was still the only trainer to have won consecutive Mount Gambier Cups – in 1987 and 1988 with Durafi and Mitchell Boy.
But from a greyhound racing point of view in the south-east, Connie’s contribution went much further than training a couple of cup winners out at the Glenburnie track.
In 1983-1984 she assumed the role of secretary of the South East Greyhound Racing Club, which later became the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing & Coursing Club Inc.
There were no computers back then, records kept in a hard-covered account book with Connie neatly entering all race results by hand – including the Mount Gambier Cup won by Barry Fullerton’s Magic Fame.
All told, this hard-covered account book – now part of the Mount Gambier Greyhound Racing Club’s memorabilia collection – contained 170 pages of hand-written race results. That was just for 1983.
With the exception of 1996-1997 Connie was secretary until 2002-2003, working alongside presidents Newman McDonnell, Ian Badger, Noel Miller, Des Dowdell, Bill Ward, Craig Collins, John Woodland and Barry Shepheard.
In the 1990s she received club life membership and was also recognised by the SA greyhound racing industry with an Outstanding Service to the Industry award.
Bill Ward and Connie Miller worked together as president and secretary from 1991-1992 through to 1995-1996.
However, their association went back to the late 1970s when Bill was a member of the South East Greyhound Racing Club committee and Connie part of the Ladies Committee that had been active in fundraising and catering.
“To be honest, when I was president, Connie really ran the club and was there pretty well all the time,” said Bill, now in his 80s and living in Mount Gambier.
“Mostly I didn’t really know what I was doing so it was thanks to her that we managed to get through the occasional stressful situation.
“And I still recall the numerous times when we were short of dogs for race meetings at Glenburnie and how she would ring around, always without fail coming up with enough runners for us to proceed.
“Undoubtedly, Connie was the backbone of the club and greyhound racing down here certainly owes her a debt of gratitude.”
