"She truly was the queen of Kembla," Illawarra Turf Club chief executive Peter De Vries reflected in tribute to 19-time premiership-winning Gwenda Markwell, who passed away after a battle with cancer.
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De Vries led the acclaim for her career and legacy on Saturday, as the entire NSW Racing community was left saddened by her death at the age of 61.
Markwell trained 1037 winners, including an amazing 517 at Kembla Grange.
Her biggest wins came in the 2004 BMW Stakes (now the Tancred) with Grand Zulu, beating Mummify and three-time Melbourne Cup champion Makybe Diva and the 2019 ATC Derby with Angel Of Truth.
The club will consider how to pay respects to Markwell at Tuesday's Kembla Grange Melbourne Cup day meeting.
""We're going to be in the hands of family in friends in terms of what's appropriate, but we'll look at getting the jockeys to wear black arm bands," De Vries said.
"She's truly the queen of Kembla, not only a very, very good horsewoman but a great mentor.
"We might look at doing something (more permanent) in her honour down the track."
Kerry Parker, the trainer of Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Think It Over and Golden Eagle runner Hope In Your Heart, said it was a difficult time for everyone at Kembla Grange.
"It was quite a sombre morning here at Kembla," Parker told SEN Track Illawarra.
"You could feel it in the air, that's for sure.
"Gwenda has been a big part of what I call 'Gwenda Grange' anyway, when you think Kembla, you think Gwenda.
"She's one of the hardest workers I've ever known, I've been good friends with her for a long time.
"A horse would lose a shoe and the next thing she's be tacking a new one on, I would be on the phone getting my farrier."
Fellow trainer Brett Lazzarini, who knew Markwell during his early career on the NSW northern coast and Queensland, was welcome to Kembla Grange by Markwell when he established his new stable.
"A lot of knowledge went with her when she passed," Lazzarini said.
"She was a very, very smart woman and a good judge, it's what separates the great trainers.
"She was also a very competent rider and a lover person who would do anything for you.
"When I first came here she was forever cooking me meals, invited me over for a Christmas barbecue and treated me like family.
"And the whole time she didn't go out and party when she got a winner, she went home and got on with what needed to be done for the next day."
Illawarra Sports Awards
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
