Jen Huntley is still getting used to the idea she has won a new car.
"We never enter competitions," she said, with a laugh.
But her husband, Andrew, did.
And when Canberra Racing Club CEO Darren Pearce reached into the barrel stuffed with entries, after the running of the Black Opal Stakes last Sunday, it was the ticket with Jen's name on that he pulled out.
Her prize was a brand-new Kia Stonic worth $26,287.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Black Opal Stakes, The Canberra Times, Black Opal Stakes and John McGrath Auto Group held the giveaway for readers of the newspaper. More than 13,000 entries were received.
A secret code word was published in The Canberra Times each day over 13 days last month and readers had to locate it and include it in their entry for the car giveaway.
Andrew diligently found the code in the digital edition of The Canberra Times - the couple's preferred way to read the paper - and sent in an entry every day.
And it paid off. Kind of.
"I'm the subscriber, so I get the car," Jen said, with a laugh.
The Chisholm couple was grateful to win the car, saying the way they found out was a bit of a story in itself.
"I was actually on the treadmill when I got the call," Jen said.
"I've been getting so many scam calls that when this unfamiliar number came up, I wasn't going to answer it.
"But it wasn't a mobile number, and the scam calls usually come from a mobile, and it was a Canberra number, so I thought I'd better answer it."
It was a member of the Canberra Racing Club staff telling her she'd won the car.
"So he talked while I panted [on the treadmill] . I said, 'I can't believe this'," she said.
"So then I sent a text to my kids and then they thought it was a scam. But, in the end, everyone was very excited."
Jen picked up the car from John McGrath Auto this week.
"They made us feel so special," she said.
And the win has confirmed the couple's love of The Canberra Times, especially the digital version.
They need to travel often and being able to have the paper with them, wherever they are, makes a difference.
"No matter where we are, we feel close to home, which is really special," Jen said.
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