Before Darren Sultana embarked on a career as a professional greyhound trainer the then 18-year-old secured his certificate in plumbing - "just in case I couldn’t make a living as a trainer," he says.
Now, 16 years later, Darren still hasn’t had to use his plumbing skills, with his 15-strong team yielding winners on a consistent basis.
The most recent was Packing Krunch, a $37 outsider who tipped out odds-on favourite Hidden Danger, trained by his uncle Sam Sultana, at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.
"Packing Krunch’s form looked awful but he is the fastest dog in the kennels," Darren said after Saturday’s race.
"Sucker Punch is the best performed dog I have and he has won nine races at Wentworth Park but if I trial them together Packing Krunch runs him down every time.
"Problem with Packing Krunch is that at his second start, at Bulli, he got pushed into the running rail and cut his leg to the bone.
"He had to have four months off and ever since then he won’t jump cleanly."
Patience is a major requirement for any greyhound trainer and Darren, whose father Vic, a former outstanding trainer is his mentor, possesses that quality in abundance.
Darren’s first winner was Anna Gee, who took 10 starts to break her maiden but who then went on to win 20 races.
It was a similar story with Darren’s tough stayer Kibble Kruncha, the dam of Saturday’s Wentworth Park winner.
"Kibble Kruncha was a daughter of Anna Gee and like her mum she was beaten in her first nine starts but then, like her dam, she won 20 races and qualified for 13 Group race finals," says Darren.
"Kibble Kruncha didn’t win one but was beaten a head in two of her Group finals.
"Fastest dog I’ve had was Hesa Felon, who won 10 of his first 16 starts and broke a track record but who fractured a hock when 10 lengths in front in a race at Nowra.
"I got him back to the track and he won another seven races but wasn’t the same dog and while he has sired plenty of winners he didn’t get many bitches and his owners have sold him to China as a stud dog.
"My biggest thrill was winning the 2007 Group 1 Association Cup with Excused, who beat Kibble Kruncha in the final, giving me the quinella.
"Excused was a bit evil but on her night she could certainly run.
"Sucker Punch has been out of action with a bruised back muscle and because he is getting older he has become more prone to niggling injuries but he should be in action again soon."
Another smart dog Darren trained was Arthur Ritis, who won at Sandown and won six at Wentworth Park, along with Kid Sloy, who beat the 2004 NSW Greyhound of the Year Irinka Barbie in the Group 3 Hunter Valley Stayers’ Cup at Singleton.
Gordon Sciberras, whose father Joe raced the 1960s stars My Enemy and Midnight Enemy, owns Sucker Punch and also raced Arthur Ritis and Kid Sloy.
"When I first approached Darren about training my dogs his father Vic wasn’t too keen because he thought I bet too heavily and would put too much pressure on Darren," Gordon told me.
"But I assured them I would take the losses with the wins and thankfully Darren became my trainer.
"I say thankfully because you could not find a more honest, loyal and dedicated person.
"He is extremely modest too; I’ll bet he didn’t tell you he was once presented with the TAB Young Trainer of the Year at the NSW Greyhound of the Year awards.
"Darren’s other assets are that he will persevere with what at first seem slow dogs, he will go anywhere to trial and is careful to take each dog through the grades."
Darren shrugs off any credit for his team’s successes, saying: "If you’ve got a good dog people say you are a good trainer, if you’ve got a bad dog you’re a bad trainer."
But dedication obviously plays a major role in why Darren Sultana has “made a go’’ of being a full-time trainer for the past 16 years.
On Wentworth Park race nights he is seldom in bed before 1am the next morning, and is up again five hours or so later to "do the dogs."
He rates Brett Lee and Rapid Journey as the best greyhounds he has seen and Richmond is his pet track.
"My current team don’t go well at Richmond but it has given me plenty of success," he said.
