El Galo Makes A One Act Affair Of The 2008 Group 1 Brisbane Cup

2008 Group 1 Brisbane Cup Winner El Galo
2008 Group 1 Winner El Galo
Last Thursday night at Albion Park, El Galo led throughout easily from the boxes and made every post a winner to blitz the Group 1 Brisbane Cup Final.

The race was all the more notable as while El Galo was virtually solo trialling out in front, plenty of trouble back in the field saw track record holder Made To Size break a hock in running, an injury that will almost certainly see him retired to stud.

El Galo ($1.80) (Where's Pedro-Roxy Reason) led throughout to win by 3.5 lengths over Trew Millions ($7.00) who made several valiant attempts to go after the tear away leader but could get no closer. Intelligence ($31.00) was a further 4.25 lengths back in third.

El Galo, owned and trained by embattled pair Seona Hood and Jason Thompson, ran 29.84 after setting up victory with a brilliant 5.64 first section and a 11.50 middle section.

It continued his dramatic year of success and disaster for Hood and Thompson who are this week destined to face several stewards inquiries in to El Galo positive swab from the Group 1 2008 Topgun, as well as inquiries in to their behaviour and conduct in the aftermath of the Group 1 2008 Melbourne Cup.

It was the second successive Brisbane Cup for Thompson who won in 2007 with .

El Galo has now won 32 of his 52 starts and the blue dog whelped in November 2005 by Where's Pedro from Roxy Reason (Malawi's Prince x Playground) has now won in excess of $374,000 in total prizemoney adding the Brisbane Cup's first prize of $55,000 his overall stake earnings went to $374,630, although the $100,000 will almost certainly come off that total when El Galo is officially disqualified as the winner of the 2008 Group 1 Topgun due to a positive swab.

El Galo will probably now head toward the Group 1 Adelaide Cup and a track that will suit his racing style emphatically at Angle Park. After that another tilt at the Group 1 will be his last group racing attempt before retiring to stud, although that could very likely centre around Thompson's own personal problems with the GRV Stewards as any disqualification of supsension resulting from the Melbourne Cup controversy, could see the dog without a studmaster.

Both placegetters Trew Millions and Intelligence were outstanding performances. Trew Millions had also finished second to Made To Size in the Group 1 Winter Carnival Cup at Albion Park back in July and Intelligence showed what a promising youngster he is with a great third. He has also been a recent finalist in the Group 1 Vic Peters at Wentworth Park and was third in the group 2 Cup.

The race was marred by the breakdown of both Made To Size and .

Tragedy struck Made To Size at the turn out of the back straight when he smashed his hock. The son of Surf Lorian-Queen Size had only last week broken his own track record with a 29.57 clocking. Trainer Reg Kay and part-owner Julie Edmondson rushed to the surgery of fellow part-owner, vet Richard Eaton Wells to have surgery on the dog's leg in a bid to save him for a stud career.

Highly promising Gazza Shiraz burst an artery during the race and pulled up bleeding.

For the third successive year a Victorian has taken out the Brisbane Cup with the Jason Thompson trained Uno Joel crowned the 2007 Group 1 champion. After the placed runners the field finished in the following order 4th Repeated ($11.00), 5th Velocette ($4.80), 6th Gazza Shiraz ($51.00), 7th ($31.00) and Made To Size ($3.00).

The Brisbane Cup has had a few name changes when it was first run in 1972 and won by Victorian Garron Court the race was known as the Gabba Sprint Championship. It remain that name until 1976. It was then called the Brisbane Cup from 1977 until 1981 changed in1982 to be known as the Coca-Cola Cup until 1999 when it changed back to the Brisbane Cup.

The race was conducted at the Gabba until the track closed in 1992 and since has been staged at Albion Park.

Listed below is the Honour Roll containing some of the champion greyhounds among the past winners :

    Brisbane Cup Honour Roll
  • 1972 Garron Court
  • 1973 Top Simbi
  • 1974 Mister Oollee
  • 1975 Alpha Brava
  • 1976 Clover Duke
  • 1977 Rebel Attack
  • 1978 Young Breeze
  • 1979 Acclaim Star
  • 1980 General Jeff
  • 1981 Picture This
  • 1982 Peter Glider
  • 1983 Acacia Park
  • 1984 National Lass
  • 1985 Super Max
  • 1986 Pretty Fearless
  • 1987 Whip Tip
  • 1988 Dancing Gamble
  • 1989 Golden Fox
  • 1990 Whisky Bale
  • 1991 No It's Not
  • 1992 White Coonowrin
  • 1993 Star Title
  • 1994 Toss The Teddy
  • 1995
  • 1996 Silver Pageant
  • 1997 Barrio Babe
  • 1998 Questions
  • 1999 Bob's One
  • 2000 Kantarn Bale
  • 2001 Tricky Creek
  • 2002 Tricky Creek
  • 2003
  • 2004 Malfoy
  • 2005 Pororoca
  • 2006 Pure Burst
  • 2007 Uno Joel
  • 2008 El Galo
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