Tornado Tears Begins Sandown Cup Defence

CHAMPION stayer Tornado Tears begins his Group 1 Sandown Cup defence on a spectacular card of racing at Sandown Park this Thursday night.

While four heats of the $175,000 to-the-winner Group 1 Sandown Cup (715m) is the highlight, the program is flanked by four heats of the Group 1 Harrison-Dawson (515m) for the boys, as well as four heats of the Group 1 Sapphire (515m) for the girls.

Eyeing a fifth victory at Group 1 level, the Robert Britton-trained Tornado Tears will exit box five in the opening Sandown Cup qualifier, the son of Fernando Bale stepping out for the first time since injured when finishing down the track in Easter Saturday's Group 1 Association Cup Final at Wentworth Park.

Breaking the track record in his heat obliteration of that series, the 23 race winner has returned from injury in good order and is expected to make light work of the opening Cup qualifier.

WATCH: Tornado Tears' 2018 Sandown Cup success

The second heat sees Wentworth Park group race winners Double Gee and Veloce Nero take their place, while the third qualifier sees Group 1 Super Stayers winner Blue Moon Rising take on Queensland star Bago Bye Bye, looming as one of the clashes of the night.

The fourth heat is another cracker, with Ella Enchanted, an outstanding Meadows 600m winner on Saturday night, taking on Embye – who trialled at the venue recently in a flying 41.56 – and 2018 cup finalist Dyna Chancer, winner of the Group 3 Lizrene Speed Star on May 5 in a fast 41.57 before finishing down the track to Ella Enchanted at The Meadows on Saturday.

Kicking off four outstanding heats of the Group 1 Sapphire Crown is the clash in race one between three-time group winner Circle Of Dreams and Crimson Vixen.

Circle Of Dreams, winner at 10 of her 15 starts, has already annexed the Group 2 Laurels, Group 1 National Futurity and Group 2 Queensland Futurity in her brief career for Angela Langton, boasting prizemoney closing in on a quarter of a million dollars.

She takes on Norm McCullagh's flying sprinter Crimson Vixen in a mouthwatering first race of the night, while in heat two, Jason Mackay's Golden Easter Egg and Ladies Bracelet heroine Zipping Bailey makes her eagerly awaited Sandown Park debut.

Heat three will see Australian and Warrnambool Cup winner Dyna Patty start all-the-rage from box one, while in the final qualifier, Queenslander Dam Slippery has drawn box six for Brett Hazelgrove, pitted up against an in-form Neo Cleo for trainer Rob Britton.

For the boys, Group 2 Queensland Derby winner Sennachie will go around from box one in the opening heat, while in heat two, the clash between Flynn and Orson Allen will be well worth tuning in for.

In heat three, Group 1 Temlee winner Barooga Brett takes his place against Warragul Cup hero Dyna Hunter, while the final qualifier sees Southern Ripple, Lucy's Milo and Golden Easter Egg fastest qualifier Blue Striker line-up as three of the leading contenders.

Click here to view Thursday's Sandown Park fields