On a ratio of winners to starters, few trainers can match the big race record of 51-year-old Mark Bell, who is training again after a successful liver transplant earlier this year.
While Bell is forever associated with the great Go Wild Teddy, the 2000 NSW Greyhound of the Year, he is no 'one-hit wonder'.
In 2000 Go Wild Teddy won a trio of Group 1 events, the Melbourne Cup, Sandown Shootout and Vic Peters Classic, along with the Group 2Bob Payne Winter Stake (now Spring Sprint).
But the following year Bell took out the National Derby with the under-rated Mean Bean, who defeated his litter brother Go Wild Teddy in the Wentworth Park classic.
And in 2003 Robust Character, another Bell-trained star who won 22 races, took out the Cessnock Cup and Canberra’s Toledo Trailers ACT Distance Championship, in which he defeated the 2004 NSW Greyhound of the Year, Irinka Barbie.
Also in the class of these greyhounds was Woy Woy Boy, along with Go Wild Teddy probably Bell’s favourite greyhound.
Woy Woy Boy finished second to Harry Hand in the 1999 NSW and National Sprint Championship finals, made the pace in Placard’s 2000 NSW final, reached the finals of the 1999 Australian Cup and 2000 Golden Easter Egg and then annexed the PENRITH City Cup.
“In the PENRITH race Woy Woy Boy beat Stately Bird, the Golden Easter Egg winner, by four lengths,’’ Bell recalled.
“Before the Easter Egg, Woy Woy Boy had won six races in succession and after being fastest semi-final winner was hot favourite for the big race.
“But he was extremely timid and there was a huge crowd on hand for the 2000 Easter Egg.
“The noise was deafening just Before the race - there were cameras and microphones everywhere - and Woy Woy Boy didn’t even want to come out of the kennels.
“He was petrified with all the hype and ran below his best, so it was gratifying to see him then come out and beat a great dog like Stately Bird, the Easter Egg winner, in the PENRITH Cup.
“A year earlier Woy Woy Boy had contested the first Australian Cup held at The Meadows and like a couple of other dogs in the race fell victim to a dodgy opening of the boxes.
“The boxes didn’t open correctly and most of the local trainers, like Allan Britton, father of current top trainers Robbie and Jeff, expected it to be declared a no race.
“But the all clear was given with the winner a rank outsider, Mandatario.’’
Even more disappointing for Bell was Robust Character’s absence from the 2003 Group 1 Sandown Shootout, won by Bombastic Shiraz.
“He could have been in the field and having only three opponents would have suited him down to the ground,’’ Bell said.
“But his owner Sterling Smith, nephew of great thoroughbred trainer T. J. Smith, refused to pay the $5000 entry fee.
“I offered to put $2500 towards the nomination cost but Sterling was against the lodging of such a high fee and Robust Character didn’t start.
“On the night Bombastic Shiraz won the Shootout in 30.20, Robust Character won in 29.80 at the same meeting.
“Another disappointment was with Heza Gooden, who took three tenths of a second off the Dubbo record in his maiden win and won his first nine races in succession Before dropping a back muscle, coming back to win at MOSS VALE and then breaking a hock when 10 lengths in front at Wentworth Park.’’
Like many trainers, Mark Bell has greyhound racing in his genes with his grandparents Cath and Bill Bell getting their first greyhound nearly 70 years ago from their next door neighbour at Kingsford, legendary trainer the late Les Harper.
“And my grandfather on my mother’s side, Roy Bamblett, also trained greyhounds, and we celebrated his 90th birthday at Angle Park greyhounds last Thursday,’’ Mark Bell said.
“I bought my first greyhound, Mugsy, when I was 18, and he won six races, giving me my first success, at MOSS VALE.
“But Mugsy was a fighter who got three tickets, the first for a month, then three months and then a year’s suspension.
“It broke my heart to have to get rid of him because he was my mate and I’ve never kept a fighter since.
“I got my kick along when I paid $2000 for a six-week-old pup bred by Michael Ivers, who bred Space Star.
“This pup was Web Of Silence and while she was a Wenty winner she was a phenomenal brood bitch.
“Her progeny included Go Wild Teddy, Woy Woy Boy, Nowra Puppy Classic winner Specks Magoo, Mean Bean and Astro Teddy, a top class NEW ZEALAND stayer.’’
Due to his long wait for a liver transplant Bell faced an uncertain future and had to stop training but with all that behind him he is well and truly back in business and has won races recently with Big Girl Gerald and Wheelchair Norm.
