“It is like football, that is what I have been told. They are just like an athlete,” he said.

“It is a good hobby. I am pretty busy with them — I run them, swim them and walk them.”

The Blues dual premiership midfielder has a runner in the $75,000 Warrnambool Classic semi-finals at Wannon Park tonight.

Magic Success will start out of box three as Bell attempts to reach his first 450-metre classic final as a fledgling trainer.

Bell rated his charge’s chances “pretty slim”, emphasising the quality of the field assembled.

“They are all good dogs but there are a few standout ones — Dewana Result, Lektra Concord and What’s Chewing,” he said. 

“Dewana Result ran behind Shared Equity (24.873 seconds), which nearly ran a track record last week (in the heats).

“There are good dogs from Melbourne in the race. They will be really hard to beat.”

Magic Success qualified for the semi-finals after running second to the Peter Presutto-trained Compelling in heat 11.

Compelling clocked 25.522 to finish just clear of Magic Success (25.533).

“He led most of the way but was basically done on the line,” Bell said.

“It is a big thrill (to be in the semis). I am really happy with him.”

Magic Success saluted at Horsham on the March long weekend and Bell believes he’s capable of adding to his wins tally.

“He has had a few races now and has gotten better each time with experience,” he said. “Hopefully he keeps improving.”

Bell had three dogs in work before So Much Magic, the most talented of the trio, broke his hock in a heat last week and was retired.

The talented onballer combines greyhound training with football commitments.

A broken collarbone sidelined Bell, a 2012 and 2013 premiership player, during last year’s Hampden grand final, forcing him to watch Warrnambool’s loss to Koroit.

He’s overcome the injury and was named in the Blues’ best in the opening two games of the 2015 season.

Bell said the Blues had assembled a strong midfield, with former Adelaide Crow Tim McIntyre and North Ballarat Rebels graduate Thomas Ludeman adding another dimension to their engine room.

“They are pretty good players so it helps,” he said.

“McIntyre, with his experience at the highest level, knows it all and teaches us blokes.”

Warrnambool Classic semi-finals and Warrnambool Cup heats will start at 6.58pm at Wannon Park.

Finals for both group 2 feature races are next Wednesday night to coincide with the south-west’s thoroughbred showpiece, Warrnambool’s May Racing Carnival.