Tornado Tears looks to hold a mortgage on Thursday night's Group 1 Sandown Cup final following his runaway heat win but connections aren't yet ready to rate him another Space Star.
NSW central coast breeder Michael Ivers bred both stayers and is part of the Millmi Syndicate which owns Tornado Tears.
When Tornado Tears led from the first turn to easily beat his Group 1 winning litter brother Rippin' Sam in last Thursday's Sandown Cup heat, he covered the 720m in a sizzling 41.30.
At his only previous 715m test Tornado Tears had stopped the clock at 41.20, just .03sec outside Miata's track record.
Tornado Tears began his career in NSW but was recently transferred to Ivers' main trainer, Victorian Robbie Britton, who had taken Space Star to glory.
Space Star won 25 of 39 races and broke The Meadows 725m record in an all too brief career, stretching from March, 2014, to when he broke down 17 months later.
"Tornado Tears is exceptionally good but he has a fair way to go be considered another Space Star,'' Ivers said.
"But all Tornado Tears needs in Thursday's Sandown Cup final is a clear run to the first turn.
"He was always going to be a long-distance dog because he came with a wet sail to win his first race, a 520m maiden at Wentworth Park.
"Tornado Tears is one of the most tenacious chasers I have bred, he goes after that lure like a maniac.
"He truly is an old-fashioned tin hare greyhound, and they seem to be a dying breed these days.''
Thursday's Sandown Cup final, worth $175,000 to the winner, is the richest staying race in the world.
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Rohan Hill maintained his unbeaten middle distance tally with a near record 600m win in 34.35 at Dapto on Thursday.
It was the JODIE Lord-trained dog's 22nd victory and compared well with Fantastic Tail's Dapto 600m time standard of 34.09.
Rohan Hill, a top grade Wentworth Park sprinter, had previously won over 600m at Canberra and Dapto.
"I will keep him going over middle distances for a while and if he gets stronger will try him over 720 metres,'' Lord said.
"I'm not sure he will stay but he is a very clean-winded little dog and is as honest as they come.
"When he wins his 600m races he seems to take a bit of a breather in the middle stages and that trait is often indicative of a potential long-distance performer.''
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Zipping Willow's son Zipping Buddy made an impressive debut at Maitland on Thursday, overcoming a moderate getaway to win easily in 22.32, fastest time of the day for the 400m journey.
Zipping Buddy, a 22 months old son of Barcia Bale, is a member of Zipping Willow's second litter, which are about to hit the tracks.
Zipping Willow's first litter, to Turanza Bale and whelped in December, 2015, includes Zipping Clive, winner of eight from 22 starts, and Zipping Mack, whose tally so far is seven wins from
21 appearances.
No wonder Zipping Willow's offspring can run, as their mother won 34 of 53 races, among them 20 at Wentworth Park, including a race record smashing 29.44 in the 2014 Evans & Son
Jewellers Ladies Bracelet final at headquarters.
