Glen Gallon And Tony Brett – Good Guys Don’t Always Finish Last
With the extent of superstars that lined up in Thursday night's Group One Garrards Winter Cup final at Albion Park, master Queensland trainer Tony Brett could have been forgiven for thinking his star charge Glen Gallon was an outsider of the field, especially after drawing out wide in box seven.
The son of imported sire Flying Stanley and Incoherent is proving age is merely just a number as he approaches the four year old mark in August, with Thursday night's victory in taking out his second consecutive Winter Cup final, even more special as trainer Brett explained:
‘I was happy with the seven but Hello Good Bye and Xylia Allen were drawn to perfection so I knew he would have to work hard. I wouldn't be racing him if he was being disgraced by younger dogs and looked silly so it's amazing that he is still nearly clocking the same times he was 40 odd starts ago'.
Leading from start to finish, Glen Gallon clocked a sizzling 29.80, just 0.03 seconds outside his personal best over the 520m distance that was recorded over 12 months ago. With that stunning victory, his career statistics now sit at a very impressive 36 wins and 12 minor placings from just 64 starts. As expected, Brett was overwhelmed with joy post-race and scenes of jubilation quickly erupted for the home town hero's well-deserved triumph.
‘Winning a Group One race is like winning a gold medal at the Olympics, it's the highest honour in our sport. The support we had from the media and everyone at the track on Thursday night was unreal and I couldn't have scripted it any better'.
‘We have travelled everywhere with him and his always popular no matter where we go and Thursday was his most satisfying victory for me' added Brett.
For Glen Gallons many adoring fans, including yours truly, Thursday was not the final time we will see the 14-time Group race finalist on the racetrack, as Brett now plans to tackle the Group One National Sprint Championships next month. This year's final will be conducted at The Meadows on August 24, with Queensland having a potentially almighty representative on their hands in their bid to take out the title.
‘He is still thriving on racing and it would actually be cruel to tell him he couldn't race anymore because his going as good as he ever has. He will hopefully represent Queensland and we will head to Victoria to hopefully win another Group One' said a proud Brett.
‘If only he could have won a few more of the Group races he competed in he would be the greatest of all time but his all heart in every one of starts' added Brett.
Thursday night's fairy tale win pushed Glen Gallons stake earnings to an astonishing $597,427, making him third on the Australian highest prizemoney winners list with the potential to surpass High Earner who is just $13,000 ahead in second place.
Launching his career around the Queensland tracks, it only took 23 starts for Glen Gallon to make his first Group One final, finishing runner up to the exceptionally talented Godsend trained by Jason Thompson in the AJS Silver Chief. From here, the 35kg heavyweight became a regular starter in Group Race finals including; the Group One Perth Cup and just two weeks later placing third in the Group One Macro Meats Temlee.
It was this time last year that his first Group One triumph would occur at Albion Park when he took out the 2012 Group One Garrards Winter Cup, clocking a flying 29.86 and stamping his authority as a serious competitor on the Group racing circuit. Three weeks later Brett made the trip down south to Dapto for the Group Two Megastar Invitational and unfortunately was unplaced before bouncing back on home soil, claiming the Queensland Sprint Championship and finishing a gallant second behind Fabregas in the Hobart National Sprint Championship at the end of August.
After two unplacings in the Group Three Gold Coast Cup and Group One Topgun, Brett's charge put in an enormous effort behind Jason Thompson's Got A Moment in the Group One Melbourne Cup and would carry on this rivalry into the Group One Brisbane Cup final, where once again he placed second behind Got A Moment. After making the Group One Perth Cup, Temlee and Australia Cup, a solid Third in the Group Two Harrison-Dawson final at Sandown reignited his Group racing campaign leading into Thursday night's victory.
With Glen Gallons interest at stud duties now in full swing, Brett was happy to report that upon retirement, his stud duties will resume at his Grandchester property with a few litters already on the ground for prospective breeders to keep a close eye on.
Despite the fact that Glen Gallon may not be talked about as one of the greatest of all time, this fine ambassador for Queensland greyhound racing proves that when a dog comes along that is all heart and determination; it captures the essence of the entire greyhound fraternity and that is the best publicity we can possibly ask for.