El Galo Stuns The Bendigo Cup Heats

El Galo (Where’s Pedro ~ Roxy Reason), the Queensland bred flying machine that was a recent high profile purchase for Jason Thompson and partner Seona Hood, went within a 1/2 length of erasing Slater from the record books last night in the $25,000 to the final winner Group 2 Bendigo Cup Heats.

Flying out from the favourable box 1 draw, the 31kg brindle dog went to the first section in an equal best of night 6.32 and then ran strongly through to the second mark in a best of night 12.36, which was 2 3/4 lengths quicker than anything else on the night to that point. As if that wasn’t enough to confirm the final pre-post favouritism, El Galo then managed to rattle off a run home time of 11.29, which from our calculations was easily the quickest of the run home times on the night.

Other winners were Lochinui (Mountain Dry ~ My Girl Georgina) in 24.00 for Tony Alvaro and Jason Thompson, Pure Conquest (Whisky Assassin ~ Lara Flynn) again in 24.00 for Kon Kola and Darren Murray, Limpinwood Rex (Elite State ~ Limpinwood Lass) in 24.22 for Graeme Bate and R Foster, Kyra Shiraz (Elite State ~ Mimi Shiraz) in 24.23 for Dave Burnett and owners N Mills and Ricky Stamford, recent unlucky Easter Egg Semi Finals runner Paddy’s Flame (Larkhill Jo ~ Miss Holly) in 24.22, and last start Healesville Cup victor Taipan Bale, for Graeme Bate and Paul Wheeler. Galba Chris (Country Willee ~ Private Affair) scrapes in to the final eight as the quickest second of the 7 heats for owner D Allen and trainer John Maple.