After 33 years between greyhound winners, popular thoroughbred caller and reinvigorated greyhound owner Terry Bailey will be chasing his second victory in a week at Sandown Park on Sunday afternoon.

When first starter Minh Smiley, a daughter of Fernando Bale, trained by young sensation Kayla Cottrell, made a winning debut at Ballarat last Wednesday night it ended a three-decade drought for Bailey.

It was his second starter and first winner since Bailey “pulled off a bit of a plunge” at Grafton back in 1990, with a greyhound he also trained called Light Parade.

Bailey’s first runner since reigniting his passion for the code around 18 months ago was Minh Benny – the Minh prefix comes from Bailey’s partner’s Minh Hoang.

Minh Benny, a son of Spring Gun, trained by Matt and Bianca Clark, ran sixth on debut at Sandown after missing the start and has drawn box two in the first event on Sunday (5.07pm).

“Minh Smiley’s win at Ballarat was very special for me for a few reasons,” Bailey said.

“When I said I was going to get back into greyhounds again, I decided I wasn’t going to mess around.

“I had a cancer scare a few years ago and you only live once, so whatever I do, I go a million miles an hour at it.

WATCH: MINH SMILEY (B6) gave race caller Terry Bailey his first greyhound winner in 33 years when scoring on debut at Ballarat for Kayla Cottrell, covering the 390m in 22.24sec.

“I started looking online and saw Glenco Rearing, which is Glen Connell. So I rang Glen up and asked him if he’d be interested in doing some rearing for me. He was very laid back and said ‘Yeah, mate!’

“I rang him a week later and asked if he was right to take some more dogs. After that, whenever I’d ring, Glen would say, ‘You’ve been on Greyhound-Data again haven’t you!’ He went from having a few kennels to having yards everywhere.

“Minh Smiley is one of the first dogs I bought off Glen.”

Another key pillar in Bailey’s greyhound racing return has been Pearcedale neighbour and astute trainer/educator Dave Knocker, whose Group 1-winning daughter Kayla Cottrell prepares Minh Smiley.

“I got recommended Dave Knocker, who lives just down the road, and the whole family have been fantastic to me,” Bailey said.

“Dave is a champion. He tells you how it is, which might offend some people, but that’s how I like it.

“I know all my dogs, all their personalities, and they’re the best animals in the world you could have.”

“Janet (Cottrell) has been sensational too, and Kayla, for a 21-year-old, the way she looks after her dogs is just amazing. I’d love to have good dogs with Kayla.

“When I got back into the dogs, I wanted to surround myself with people that would help me and that I genuinely trusted and liked, so to share that first win with two people (Kayla Cottrell and Glen Connell) that I have great admiration for was very special.

“I’m very lucky to get a winner with my second runner. I could’ve been waiting a lot longer.”

Bailey grew up with greyhounds – “the whole family raced and reared them”.

“I always had dogs with Dad, and I bought my first dog when I was 18,” he recalled.

“Her name was Temora Bale and I paid $200 for her. She was by Moralee Chief, a brother to Temlee. I owned and trained her, although you wouldn’t really call it training! But she could run, and I sold her for $3000, which I knocked off the next weekend!”

The greyhound bug never left Terry and he’s been making up for lost time since returning to the code he last called at Beenleigh back in 1998.

At last count, he’s the very proud owner of 47 greyhounds; race dogs, pups, and brood bitches.

“I love the sport and I love my dogs,” Bailey said.

“I know all my dogs, all their personalities, and they’re the best animals in the world you could have.

“They’re loyal, loving and they have great personalities. I just love them. If I didn’t love them, I couldn’t do what I’m doing. It saddens me that they don’t have the best reputation.

“Getting back into the dogs is the best thing I’ve ever done. I never get angry, I never get disappointed. They’re great for your mental health. I’ve suffered depression, which comes from being in a high pressure job.

“When I told my partner that I was going to name all my greyhounds after her, she said I was mad, but I told her she’s my good luck charm!

“I’ve got lots of dreams. I have a couple of young dogs I really like. There’s a Bernardo and a couple by Beast Unleashed.

“There’s also a little Fernando Bale bitch – she’d be lucky to be 22 kilos – but she gets in the paddock with the other dogs and gives them a start and just mows them down. I’m really looking forward to seeing how she breaks-in.”

Bailey has also enticed Racing.com compatriot Clint Hutchison to join in his cross code endeavours, coming in the ownership of two youngsters, including the aptly named King Hutch, which is with Colin Brennan.

“Clint wanted to call the dog ‘TB Morale’ after me, because I’m always calling things morals!,” Bailey laughed.

One certainty Bailey can declare without fear of going the ‘early crow’ is that he’s loving every minute of his second coming in greyhound racing.