Penny's Night Of Night At Nowra

By Jeff Collerson
Rookie trainer Penny Hutchinson had a night to remember at Nowra on Monday when she trained her first winner, Porch Pirate, and landed another double as an owner when Pistols At Dawn and Next Of Kin were successful for trainer Phil Goodsell.

Hutchinson, who took out a trainer's licence just two months ago, finished fourth with her first starter when Porch Pirate just missed a place at his race debut at Nowra but was in the winner's circle when that greyhound, only her second ever entry, led all the way on Monday.

Hutchinson, a part-owner of the Donna Campbell-trained On The Rocks, who has won 21 of 44 races and earned $87,000, explained: "It's exciting owning greyhounds but training them is so much more fun.

"It's a lot of work but I can't believe how wonderful it is to be constantly with the dogs you own.

"Donna Campbell encouraged me to obtain a handler's licence so I could be more hands-on with my greyhounds and she suggested I should then have a go at training them.

"Donna. along with my friend Phil Goodsell, who trains Pistols At Dawn and Next Of Kin, have been wonderful mentors.

"I must admit Porch Pirate surprised me because he is so placid, he does not appear to be fast or a mad keen chaser, and not long ago I didn't think he would be able to run out of sight on a dark night.

"Porch pirates are the names given to people who steal glitter bombs from people's front verandahs, so I also now have another dog called Glitter Bomb.

"Pistols At Dawn's name came about when I had a dispute with a part-owner over another dog and I contacted officials. 

"I was told the head of the syndicate had the final say and then the woman answering my query added jokingly 'unless you want to go pistols at dawn.'

"I thought that was a fun name to give a dog and here we are.

''Porch Pirate and Pistols At Dawn are litter brothers and were bred by Troy Scott in Victoria.

"My husband David is in the Navy and he is encouraging me in my new hobby and taking an interest so it's great.

"Even stopping at McDonald's on the way home from Nowra to buy Porch Pirate an ice cream added another element to the fun I had on Monday night.''

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