Episode 550: Mitchell Bell - The Travelling Man

Mitchell Bell is one of several Sydney based jockeys who regularly ply their trade on outside tracks. His manager Shaun Flaherty makes a point of committing Mitch to race meetings no further than three hours from his Windsor home. The hard working jockey is a regular at places like Scone, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Goulburn, Bathurst, Orange and Mudgee. Mitchell’s unwavering reliability has seen him build a strong support base among a wide range of trainers. The jockey says he’s learned to handle the tedium of constant travel. Mitchell talks about the two hip replacement surgeries he’s been forced to undergo in recent years.  He says he never knew his grandfather Billy Bell who was a successful Sydney jockey in the 60’s and 70’s. Mitchell pays tribute to his father Steve who had a jockey’s build but opted to pursue a career as a professional boxer- a career that led him to an Australian flyweight crown. Mitchell says his riding plans could have been thwarted when he was involved in a freak gymnasium accident at age 13. He looks back on his amazing recovery from serious hand injuries and early riding education at an Ingleburn riding school. The 40 year old talks about his apprenticeship to Tamworth trainer Mark Mason and an inauspicious first ride at Quirindi. He pays tribute to a former leading country jockey who became his tutor in Tamworth track gallops. Mitch hasn’t forgotten the thrill of landing his first winner. He remembers the most minor detail about his initial metropolitan win on the historic stretches of Royal Randwick. The jockey acknowledges the first notable horse he got to ride after returning to Sydney as a fully fledged rider. Mitch plays tribute to the talented Artlee who gave him success in the Wild Card and Final of the 2015 Country Championship.  He says Artlee was also the centrepiece of one of his biggest racing disappointments. Bell talks of a successful association with the Waller stable on outside tracks. He recalls a Newcastle win on Youngstar immediately before the filly went to Brisbane to win two important races. He rates another Waller trained horse as one of the best he’s ridden. Mitch looks back on a black type Hawkesbury win on Cellarman. He talks about the strong association he’s forged with Peter Snowden and a recent Newcastle treble for the stable. Mitchell speaks fondly of a strong association with legendary horseman Ron Quinton. He acknowledges the support of several other prominent stables. Mitch says he was greatly influenced by two special role models in the early part of his career. He doesn’t take for granted the luxury he enjoys in being able to maintain a weight of 53kgs. The much travelled jockey says he’s sometimes tempted by offers to ride in the city but is reluctant to inconvenience established country and provincial supporters. The 40 year old speaks fondly of wife Hollie and children Harper, Billy and Tayla. This is a nice chat with an ever reliable jockey who prefers to ‘hit the highway” in his quest for winners.