Sam Seeking Bragging Rights in Distance Showdown

Group 1 winner Rippin’ Sam will be looking to finally break through over brother Tornado Tears in this Thursday’s State Distance Final (715m) at Sandown Park.


Group 1 winner Rippin' Sam will be looking to finally break through over brother Tornado Tears in this Thursday's State Distance Final (715m) at Sandown Park.

The white and brindle chaser has already qualified for August 24's Group 1 National Distance Championship as the highest-rated dog on Greyhound Clubs Australia's Rankings, regardless of his finishing position this week.

But bragging rights will certainly be on the line when the brothers clash for the sixth time on Thursday night, with Tornado Tears holding a 5-0 lead on his sibling.

Rippin' Sam looked back to his best in his heat victory, powering away to score in a brilliant 41.32 – the fifth fastest time over the 715-metre journey at Sandown. What was especially impressive was his run home time, breaking 11 seconds to defeat the in-form Billy's Bake by four and a half lengths.

While Tornado Tears' overall winning time of 42.00 was significantly slower than Rippin' Sam's, his run was also impressive, copping interference into the first corner before attempting a number of runs along the fence, eventually taking an opening to score by almost two and a half lengths over Dyna Chancer.

If Rippin' Sam finishes in the top two in this week's final, Tornado Tears will qualify for the National Distance Championship regardless of his finishing spot this Thursday as the second highest dog on Greyhound Clubs Australia's Rankings.

Lara trainer Robert Britton – whose greyhounds have dominated the staying ranks over the past 18 months – will not only put the polish on Tornado Tears and Rippin' Sam, but Bolt Like Bekim also, who has a fantastic 41.58PB at the Lightwood Road circuit.

Victorian State Distance Championship

  1. Hot Tip
  2. Flying Flyer
  3. Rippin' Sam
  4. Billy's Bake
  5. Rockstar Patriot
  6. Dyna Chancer
  7. Tornado Tears
  8. Bolt Like Bekim
  9. (Res) Dyna Zesty
  10. (Res) Shae's Intention

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