Peter Galo Sets Healesville Record Straight

SIX months ago, Garry “Gus” Selkrig and his mate Mark Burgin advertised Peter Galo for sale at $60,000.

“I got a bunch of time wasters ringing me so we decided to keep him,” said Gus. “And lucky we did.”

Peter Galo smashed the Healesville track record when running 18.65 to win the National Straight Track Championship (350m) on Sunday beating Queenslander Certification and fellow Victorian Myrniong And All.

Now Selkrig will aim the dog at the upcoming Healesville Cup with the chance to win more riches for a dog he says he was lucky to come by as a pup and that has given he and Mark a roller-coaster ride throughout his stellar, yet injury interrupted, career.

“I bred his mother Flossy and got a couple of litters out of her that produced some handy dogs and some not so good,” said Gus.

“But she was a barker and it was getting on my nerves so I loaned her out on a pup deal.”

When Flossy was mated to Peter Rocket, Gus got his pup but then had to go back and pick out another when his mate Mark Burgin contacted him about buying from the litter as well.

“We needed another pup to rear with mine,” said Gus. “If I had taken more care at the time I was picking, I probably would never had taken this dog. He was four months old but had no testicles descended.

“I only noticed it a few days later but by then we decided to keep him.”

And lucky he did.

The Championship victory took his record to 28 wins and $137,000 in stakes.

While the Healesville Cup will be Peter Galo's immediate task, sixth in the event in 2017, Gus is also looking to take the injury-prone dog back to the circle with the Group 1 Melbourne Cup his target.

“And, we'll keep him going and try to win the Championship again next year at Capalaba,” said Gus.

Peter Galo, despite his injury prone career, has already won the Group 2 Shepparton Cup.

“What hasn't gone wrong with him,” said Gus. “Four split webbings, monkey muscle, wrist. If he was normally sound at all he would be unbeatable this dog.

“Thankfully, he is holding up now, but it's been really, really frustrating in the past.”

Gus and his wife came home to their Devon Meadows property to a power blackout. They decided to head out on the town and celebrate with a Chinese meal.

“And, the bacon and eggs even tasted much better this morning after the win,” he said. “They always do.”

Gus has some quality youngsters about to start their racing careers including two by Barcia Bale that Mark Burgin bought as pups.

“That Mark is one very, very lucky guy,” said Gus.

“He won the Brisbane Cup with one of his horses (Sixties Groove) early in June.”