Glenda Bell team singing in harmony

By Jordan Gerrans

Emerald horsewoman Glenda Bell has praised the hard-working team around her following her stable’s stunning start to the 2025-26 campaign. 

With 14 winners so far in the season, Bell’s team is striking at just under 30 per cent and they have been particularly prolific in recent weeks.

She has surged to second on the Queensland Country Trainer Premiership and boasts the best strike-rate of the top five by far.

The former jockey-turned-trainer prepared a quartet of winners across the two days of the recent Twin Hills carnival, which followed a treble on her home deck at Emerald on the Tuesday prior at their midweek TAB meeting.

The Bell camp collected a winning double at the Emerald meeting in early September, two more at Springsure in late August as well as Townsville and Dingo victories around the same time.

The 66-year-old trainer believes her diligent team of trackwork riders deserve plenty of the credit for the stable’s recent red-hot form.

Bell acknowledged her trio of trackwork riders Aleisha O'Dell, Lani Alexander and Mikaela Longbottom, who all came from a barrel racing background before stepping into the racing caper. 

“I think the team around me, to be honest, have led to this and everything has fallen into place,” she said.

“The trackwork riders I have - I have a good team of people helping.

“That is the biggest thing, the team around me and I think I have better quality of horses at the minute, as well.”

To put Bell’s recent numbers into context, she is on track to record her best season as a trainer in the last decade with many months left in the season.

In terms of strike-rate, the 2021-22 term was her best season when she collected 26 winners at just over 18 per cent.

The 2024-25 season was her high mark for victories over the last decade, scoring 34.

The Bell stable tallied three winners on the Friday program from Twin Hills before a newcomer to the team - Quarry Man – blitzed the QTIS Maiden Plate field by more than 10 lengths.

Quarry Man was previously prepared by Kelly Schweida in Brisbane and had two starts without much success.

Big-time Queensland owners Judith and Ronald Wanless raced Quarry Man with Schweida and the Wanless’ gave Bell a heads up that the gelding might be a nice fit for her team at regional tracks. 

“It is a great meeting and it was good to get some results out there,” she said of her Twin Hill quartet of triumphs. 

“It makes it all worthwhile.

“We do try and source the right horses to take there.

“It is extra special to get a few winners out there because everyone loves the meeting, it is great.”

The Bell yard have had a big influx of new gallopers that were previously trained by leading South East Queensland stables and they have quickly made an impact in their new jurisdiction.

Deep Fury (previously trained by Jack Bruce) has won a race, as has former Matthew Hoysted pair Dark Gleam and Twin Island while Socially Red (previously John Wallace prepared) and Tipsy Tiger won first-up for Bell after being moved on by Tony Gollan. 

“They have been a big help,” Bell said.

“It has probably been a turning point getting those kinds of horses with the help of the Wanless family."

Bell heads to Rockhampton Jockey Club on Friday as she aims to keep the positive results rolling in the Class 1 Handicap over 1050 metres. 

She will present with Silver Hammer – who will be ridden by Warwick Satherley – while top apprentice Tahlia Fenlon will pilot stablemate Borrelli. 

“They are both going ok, but they just have a lot of weight,” she said.

“They will both go well and be accountable.”

The Emerald Jockey Club’s feature meeting for the year – the Emerald 100 – will be hosted later this month with Bell declaring she had a couple of good chances for the program.