Trainers
New South Wales Horse Trainer
BRETT BELLAMY - COFFS HARBOUR
All Brett Bellamy ever wanted to do was be a horse Trainer which eventuated with amazing success.
Brett grew up amongst the racing fraternity in the Hawkesbury District where his father had a horse transport business and was well known in the industry.
Brett’s Father Kevin purchased the Aerodrome Hotel which was situated right at the front of Hawkesbury Racecourse and Brett got to meet all the racing celebrities who would stop in for 1 or 2 on the way home.
Brett met all aspects of the racing game through all the individuals associated with the Hawkesbury Race Club from Race Callers, Stewards, Trainers, Jockeys, and Stable hands and got to know the industry at a very young age.
At 17 Brett’s family sold up and moved to Coffs Harbour where Brett’s father took out a training license and through his many contacts had a decent string of horses and this is where the Bellamy Racing dynasty commenced.
Brett worked for his father at Coffs but soon yearned for more experience and was off to the likes of Lindsay Park with Colin Hayes, a couple of years with Mal Barnes at Randwick and a stint in Tamworth.
Whilst at Lindsay Park, Brett met his wife Julie, and they set about starting the Coffs Harbour operation.
From the early days at Coffs Harbour, it was evident that Brett Bellamy was going to make it, and he then went bang with a horse called ‘Mahlula Star’ who had a staggering record of 115 17/20/10 and the Bellamy’s were off and running.
Brett trained the group placed Chocolate Starfish who ran second to Star of Florida in the Group 2 Sam Domenico which was also a stable boost.
With The Bellamy’s now well entrenched in the Country Training ranks Brett was to become ‘the master to the apprentices’ one in particular was a skinny kid he took to a country track for his first win in a race and that was Zac Purton who has gone onto international fame.
Brett, Julie, Declan & Courtney are a true racing family an SJ Racing is honoured that Brett has agreed to train for us in what we hope is a long and successful association
BRETT'S achievements
Amongst the many horses who’ve kept the stable flag flying for Bellamy Racing, a couple of standouts for Bretts training highlights is Mahlula Star, Chocolate Starfish and Sectagonal (from Octagonal), who was purchased for $12,500 and won 11 races with 8 on Brisbane Metropolitan tracks.
Brett rates his wife Julie, as his best achievement. But along with that is the opportunities he has given to numerous top name jockeys and now has his daughter Courtney flying through the ranks and is a sought-after apprentice who booted home her first metro winner at the beginning of August 2024.
Brett has won many Country Trainers of the Year Awards and also Coffs Harbour Premierships.
Brett is rapidly approaching his 1000th winner and not many trainers get to that number.
South East Queensland Horse Trainer
DAVID VANDYKE - SUNSHINE COAST
The success of David’s career is built upon a strong foundation of working through every facet of the breeding and horse racing industry, locally and internationally.
He started as a trainer at Kembla Grange at 21 years-of-age where he won the local Training Premiership in 1989 as a 23-year-old. This title was under his original name of David Hayes, he changed his surname to his mother’s maiden name Vandyke in 2010 to avoid confusion with fellow trainer David Hayes, son of Colin Hayes.
David’s interest in thoroughbred racing was sparked as a young boy through his family’s breeding and racing interests. After attending Scots College, Sydney, he learnt his craft by working with leading Randwick trainers Neville Begg and Les Bridge. He also worked in Japan for 12 months, Churchill Downs (Kentucky) and in New Zealand for Graeme Rogerson and Laurie Laxon.
David is also a skilled horse-breaker. He cultivated these skills as a stud hand at Segenhoe Stud and Roseneath Stud. After leaving his first stint as a trainer he was responsible for horse breaking at Itsuwa Farm, Hokkaido, Japan in the early 1990s.
Upon his return to Australia, David helped his friend Tim Martin establish his stable at Rosehill before working with Sydney's leading trainer Chris Waller for 3 years as his Office Manager.
After leaving Chris Waller he started his own successful business, Animalcare, with Dr Tim Roberts, supplying animal healthcare products. Four years into the business, his innate desire to train could no longer be ignored.
He took his licence back out in February 2010 and since then has won an array of Group and Stakes races with the likes of Yankee Rose, Lamasery, Arabian Gold, Maurus, Sir John Hawkwood, Look To The Stars, Miss Marx, Cosmic Cube, Choice Words, Less Is More and Prince Cheri. David has also maintained an excellent strike rate.
Lamasery was his first horse, since returning to training, who was purchased for $10,000 by his friends Sam and Mel Mayer. The gelding notched up 11 wins from 25 starts to earn $630,450 in prize money. He won four Stakes races including his gallant victory in the Group 2 Hill Stakes at Randwick.
DAVID'S ACHIEVEMENTS
David Vandyke is a four-time Group 1 winning trainer who has established a reputation as one of the best horsemen in the country.
He has not only achieved winners at the highest level but also consistently produced one of the best strike rates in Australian racing. Over the past decade, David's numbers are a true testament to his consistency, systems and work ethic.
David has been based on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland since 2016 after deciding to move his training base from Warwick Farm, Sydney.
The move to QLD was based on a combination of industry and lifestyle factors and has proven a huge success with the emergence of stars of the turf such as YANKEE ROSE, ALLIGATOR BLOOD and GYPSY GODDESS.
David also has a good history of improving tried horses. The trainer’s results come from a deep understanding of each horse as an individual, combined with dedication and planning.
North Queensland Horse Trainer
ALWYN (BONES) BAILEY - CAIRNS
Alwyn was always destined to be a trainer as he has been around horses all his life. Alwyn started his career with “A couple” in Mount Isa in 1977 where he raced on the unforgiving circuits from Cloncurry to Burketown and surrounding areas.
With his undoubted horsemanship and continued results he was encouraged to move to the big smoke !! that being Cairns. Alwyn moved his operation to Cairns in 1980 where he has trained ever since.
As the years passed by Alwyn’s hold to this area increased as the results continued to accumulate. This resulted in a more complex set up which now consists of having at his disposal swimming facilities, round yards, walker machines as well as the Cairns track itself.
Alwyn is self-sufficient and has his own track work rider, own transport, and a spelling complex at Mt Peters where the horses can have a day or two after a run as well as having the luxury of your trainer sighting the horse daily when spelling. This offers the complete training deal for his valued owners.
We welcome this dedicated and sought-after Cairns racing family to the SJ Racing family.
ALWYN'S ACHIEVEMENTS
Alwyn has a good strike rate and has won his hometown cup The Cairns Cup in 2017 with Ranked however he lists his greatest achievements as his Family.
Alwyn has 2 boys in the business:
- Bodine working ‘hands on’ in the stables with the day-to-day operations.
- Andrew working weekends and transporting the horses to race meetings. Andrew’s wife Jacqueline looks after the heartbeat of the business with the administration section of the operation.
