DOOM JAN 30 - BELL TAKES DOOMBEN BY STORM

By Graham Potter | Sunday, January 31, 2010

All of the local big names were out in force at Doomben. Jim Byrne, Larry Cassidy, Glen Colless, Stathi Katsidis ... all top guns in their own right ... yet all had to play second fiddle on the day to an unassuming sixteen-year-old who arrived to showcase his riding ability on the metropolitan stage and went home having ridden the winners of half the card.

Timothy Bell is attached to the Tamworth based trainer Sue Grills. Two weeks ago Grills brought two runners - Ollie Vollie and Dealers - to Eagle Farm and won with both horses. That result gave Bell a metropolitan double which was his best metropolitan result up until yesterday.

Yesterday at Doomben the Grills team was at it again with the same two horses, Ollie Vollie and Dealers, again obliging under the cool handling of Bell. But the young rider did not finish there.

He struck gold as well on Rare Diamond for trainer Gordon Yorke and he finished off the day with a special fanfare when he partnered the Paul Nolan trained Fantastic Blue in accomplished fashion to take out the last race on the card.

In six rides Bell won four races, finished second once and he was unplaced on his other ride.

Just when it looked like it would need something very special to take the week’s riding honours away from Jim Byrne’s five winners in the saddle earlier in the week on Australia Day ... well, along came something special, particularly from a young apprentice still learning his trade.

It was a big afternoon for Bell. Not only is he already a talented horseman, but he also is a highly personable, intelligent and well grounded young man.

All of those attributes combined to make a hugely favourable impression on those who witnessed his accomplishment, most of whom would bet on the fact that, all things being equal, Bell is at short odds to go on to a bright future.

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