Toolleen mother-and-son combination Bev and Daniel Pell have created a breeding dynasty which had its origins in 2008.
The genesis was Bubbles Devere – named after a character from cult British sketch comedy Little Britain – which was their foundation brood matron.
She was purchased as a three-month-old pup and went on to become a pre-potent producer.
But it’s her post-breeding days that add raw emotion to her legacy.
Bubbles Devere was the family pet before passing away unexpectedly on her couch, aged 12, in early March 2020.
“Once she moved inside the house, I didn’t have the heart to put her back out in her kennel.”
“It was devastating as she meant the world to us,” Daniel said.
“Once she moved inside the house, I didn’t have the heart to put her back out in her kennel. In fact, she whelped her last three litters in the lounge-room.
“It was a shock and extremely emotional. Her final resting place is under a tree next to her son, Bing Gordyn.”
But now her granddaughter, Subconscious, is continuing the ‘ancestry’ – which harks back 14 years.
Ironically, Subconscious whelped a litter of 15 pups (by Fernando Bale) in March ’20, which proved too many for the new mother to handle.
“So, we set up a temporary whelping box in our lounge-room and every three hours mum would get up and give them a bottle-feed,” Pell said.
“It was bedlam for the first two weeks and pandemonium after that with a household full of pups.”
But the Pells remained true to a breeding philosophy that has spawned an ongoing lineage.
“It’s the way you nurture the pups… Rearing is everything as it gives them a foundation to develop,” Pell added.
So, roll on to the $1.175m Group Listed Pink Diamond extravaganza at Ballarat on Friday night.
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The Pells will rug three littermates, out of Subconscious, in two of the 12 finals.
Love The City (Box 3) and Red Reactor (Box 5) will contest the $42,840 Rookie Sprinter final (450m) – Race 7, 9.05pm – while Rigg (Box 8) lines up in the $42,840 Rookie Short Course final (390m) – Race 9, 9.50pm – with both events carrying a $25,000 first prize and each $5590 in breeders bonuses.
“Love The City ($12.00 on TAB fixed odds) will need things to go her own way as she’s only a tiny thing – just under 24kg,” Pell said.
“But I slightly favour Red Reactor ($6.00) as our best chance as it’s not the worst box five I’ve had.
“Hopefully, Hill Top Jonnie (Box 4) gives him a cart into the race… Red Reactor has the best muster, but Love The City is stronger.”
WATCH: RED REACTOR (B2) ‘melts down’ HILL TOP JONNIE (B4) in a Pink Diamond Rookie Sprinter heat at Shepparton on June 9.
Pell adds “box eight for Rigg ($12.00) is good as he’ll go as straight as a die”.
“He’s clever in that sense and if they jam up, he’s a chance to go around them.
“I think he’s a good place chance, but it’ll be the end of the penny section if the favourite Plaintiff ($2.00) goes to the front from box five.”
Pell says the Pink Diamond series is “a brilliant concept”.
“No breeder, no industry; so, the bonuses are fantastic. I just think it needs some tinkering in terms of the 275 and 300 ranked greyhounds.”
On a touching note, Pell adds he thinks of Bubbles Devere all the time.
And even more so considering Subconscious (aka “River”) – which is due for an AI breeding straw by Fernando Bale – has taken over as the household pet.
Bubbles Devere and our Chihuahua “Ziva” were ‘besties’, and now “River” has taken her place.”
