Bell hoping to watch Country Cups Challenge Final from the grandstand

By Glenn Davis

Country racing stalwart Glenda Bell will be watching from the Doomben grandstand as a spectator and not as Demurral’s trainer if the six-year-old qualifies for the Country Cups Challenge Final in December.

Demurral will stake his claim for the $200,000 Final on December 3 when he steps out for start 19 of his career in the Country Cups Challenge qualifier over 1850 metres at Emerald on Saturday.

So far everything is going to plan with Demurral, who will be ridden by Nathan Day in the Country Cups Challenge qualifier, which is also is known as the Emerald 100.

Demurral started his career winning three of his first nine starts with Bell before being transferred to Caloundra’s David Vandyke.

The son of Not A Single Doubt picked up a prize money cheque in all five starts for Vandyke, which included a win in a Benchmark race at the Sunshine Coast in November of last year.

Demurral has been back with Bell for his past four starts, for a win and two placings, including a last start third to the Ben Waldron-trained Palate in a 1400 metre Benchmark 65 race at Springsure on September 17.

Bell was pleased with the gelding’s performance considering she regards dirt tracks as being unsuitable for him.

“We’ve set him for this race but he’ll have another couple of starts after this to meet the qualifying conditions of having five country starts in the last 12 months,” Bell said.

“He’ll be going back to David Vandyke if he qualifies and I’ll be happy to sit back and watch if he makes the Final.”

Bell has been to Brisbane for the Country Cups Challenge Final once previously when she saddled The Baker, who finished ninth to Deadly Choices in 2019.

“The Baker started favourite that day but he never ran the mile,” Bell said.

Bell has been training for more than two decades and has a team of 18 horses in work at Emerald.

“I’ve got an eight acre property with a treadmill and we’re currently putting in a swimming pool,” she said.

“If he gets into the Final I’ll fly down and watch from the grandstand as David Vandyke will have him for the race and he’ll put the final polish on him.

“Demurral knows his surroundings at David’s stables and I lose my way whenever I go past Rockhampton."

Bell has trained at Emerald all her career apart from a brief 12 month stint at Rockhampton.