Bell chasing Country Cups glory

By Glenn Davis

Central Queensland trainer Glenda Bell hopes to be Brisbane bound for the Country Cups Challenge Final in December.

Bell has been training for more than 40 years at Emerald, apart from a brief 12-month stint when she trained in Rockhampton a few years ago.

She has few peers when it comes to country racing, which is often regarded as the soul of the state’s racing industry.

The conditioner has won a host of country features including a Mackay Cup with Fastnet Flyer as well as Cup races at Thangool, Clermont and several others.

But, she’s never claimed a Country Cups Challenge Final and it is definitely on her bucket list to win.

“I’ve never won a Country Cups Challenge Final, but I’m hoping to do so soon,” Bell said.

“I’ve got a few bullets left to fire to make the Final and I’m hoping one of them, Bayerische, can qualify when I take him to Yeppoon soon for a qualifying race.

“I nominated Bayerische for the qualifying race at Emerald on Saturday, but I’m only starting Galano and The Extreme Cat.

“Unfortunately, Galano hasn’t had enough qualifying races to make the Final should he win and The Extreme Cat will transfer to Lachie Manzelmann for the Final in Brisbane, if he wins on Saturday.”

The Extreme Cat was previously trained by Manzelmann and will make his debut for Bell after finishing fourth to the Ian Shaw-trained Sir Rocket over 1570 metres at Twin Hills last month.

Galano is also making his stable debut for Bell and is coming off a last-start seventh behind the Chris Waller-trained Liberty Park in a 1615 metre Benchmark race at Doomben last month.

“Galano is the pick of my two as he wasn’t far away at Doomben when Matt Dunn trained him,” Bell said.

“His owner Jesse Beak is a cattle grazier in Emerald and he paid quite a few dollars for him.

“I’ve only had him for about three weeks, but he’s a very nice horse and he’s doing everything I’ve asked of him.”

Bell has tried to win Brisbane’s three big country features in the past, but is yet to take home a trophy in the Finals of the Country Cups Challenge, Country Stampede or Battle of the Bush.

Bell’s only previous attempt to win the Country Cups Challenge Final was with The Baker, who finished ninth to Deadly Choices in 2019.

Apart from training, Bell also rode the country circuit as a jockey before retiring in 2008 when she bowed out a winner on her last day of riding aboard Beautiful Divka at Emerald.

Meanwhile, one of her highlights as a jockey came when she booted home Boucher Boy to win the Emerald Cup when she was 33.