One of the Dubbo club's feature events each year, the Bill and Peg Miller Memorial is to honour the couple who were well known and respected throughout Australia as quality breeders and trainers and pioneers of the industry, especially in NSW.
Some smart young sprinters have won the race in recent years, notably the David Pringle-trained Midnight Starlet who won the race in 2018. Later that year she would break the Dubbo track record and make the grand final of inaugural Million Dollar Chase at Wentworth Park.
In 2019 the Memorial was won by local trainer Charmaine Roberts whose sprinter Don't Mind Me went within 0.01s of the track record.
In 2021, Jack Smith took out the inaugural Brother Fox Final, and also claimed a special win in the Bill & Peg Miller Memorial, with promising youngster Miss Ezmae dashing around Dawson Park in a very smart 29.43s.
“To win the Bill & Peg Miller Memorial is everything,” Smith said. “They were just great people and I dealt with Bill, and I’ve dealt with their kids and now the grand kids, so yeah it’s great to be able to win this race in their honour.
“She (Miss Ezmae) is quite smart and fairly quick, and she’s shown it in trials before, and she’s put it together tonight which was good to see.”
While the Brother Fox Final is the feature on the night now, the Bill & Peg Miller is a race trainers still chase and it was Josh Board who took the honours in 2022 when his smart young sprinter registered win number three leading throughout from box four to win the feature event.
In 2023, Dennis and Ann Barnes completed the trifecta in the Bill & Peg Miller Final with Nangar Nellie defeating Nangar Lucy and Nangar Larry.
The race is named in honour of Ann’s parents, so no doubt it was one they were desperate to win.
