Rookie trainer Luke Smith trained his second ever winner on January 11 at Warragul with maiden chaser Bobby Baccala, and it’s something he’d obviously love to experience more often.

“It’s been six months since my first winner, so it has been a long time coming,” said 32-year-old Smith.

“I train three dogs – Bobby Baccala, Rare Tarra and Behind Greywalls – and they’re no world beaters, but they all love to race and I’m learning so much from training them.”

“I played footy at a pretty high level and I love dogs in general, so training greyhounds really suits me.”

Based on a house block in Drouin, Smith is a qualified plumber who works in sheet metal installation.

He hopes to one day go into training greyhounds full-time.

“I only got my trainers licence 12 months ago. With a young family we need a steady income, but one day I’d like to get a bigger property and train greyhounds full-time,” he said.

That dream could be one step closer to reality in the near future as Smith’s parents make the move from Seaford in Melbourne’s south to Drouin.

“My dad (Ken Smith) used to train greyhounds in the seventies and eighties and had some handy dogs,” he said.

“Mum and dad have a vested interest in a couple of the dogs I train, so dad is enjoying being involved in the sport again, and he will certainly be more hands on when they move to Drouin.

“At the moment my partner (Nel) feeds the dogs in the morning while looking after our nine-week old daughter, so she is an absolute champion.

“Having my parents closer to us to help out will be huge.”

WATCH: BOBBY BACCALA (4) found another gear late when notching the first win of his career at Warragul on January 11.

A premiership footballer at the Seaford and Hastings football clubs, Luke said his passion for greyhound racing stems from his father.

“I followed greyhound racing as a kid because of dad.”

“I played sport my whole life and now that I don’t play anymore, training dogs is a great passion that helps fill that competitive void.

“I love being around the dogs. I’ve got a handful of pups I’m educating at the moment to get them ready for racing, which is great experience for me.

“I played footy at a pretty high level and I love dogs in general, so training greyhounds really suits me.

“I really enjoy the challenge of getting my dogs fit and ready to race… it is a real buzz and I’m loving it.”