MARK Duclos has learned to be a patient man.

He is the face of greyhound racing on Sky and his knowledge, and love of the industry, is evident for all to see.

His patience has come from waiting, and waiting, to get something special from trainers in this industry before and after our special races.

Getting blood from a stone, or that old one, as tough as pulling teeth, comes to mind at times.

Thus the need for Mark to have patience.

But in the past few months Mark's patience has been sorely tested.

That's because Mark is also the proud owner of a bitch called Space Girl Tears (Bekim Bale-Tonto Tears by Kiowa Sweet Trey) a litter sister to superstar Space Star.

Yes, the same Space Star who, in the space (pardon the use of that) of just a few months has won the Association Cup, WA Galaxy, Zoom Top and Wenty Gold Cup.

He's run a swag of track records, something he has been doing since he first set foot on the racetrack for breeder and owner Mick Ivers.

Toss in a few Group 1 placings for Space Star and he can rightly be rated a dog "out of this world".

Mick also owns the litter sister Tears Siam who has been listed placed, a Group finalist, and a winner at Sandown and Meadows over distance.

Duclos is persuasive man.

He talked Mick Ivers, pestered him really, into selling him Space Girl Tears.

Mark has raced her for 10 starts, winning at Albion Park and The Gardens and the bitch has been placed three times.

OK, she's no Space Star or Tears Siam, but Mark has all the faith in the world she can continue to foster one of the strongest female families this country has seen.

Mark's impatience came about because he has been waiting for her to come on season.

He's asked just about everyone he knows in greyhound racing for some advice on potential sires.

Only last week, Space Girl Tears came on season and you'd think Mark had just had his first sexual encounter such is the smile on his face.

So, what has he settled on?

Djays Octane!

Why put a US sire who is from a "strength" sireline, noted for getting strength in his offspring, and to a bitch from one of the stoutest families in this country?

We'll tell you why.

First, let's look at just how good the female family is.

Dam Tonto Tears (Kiowa Sweet Trey-Tears) won 14 races and was a multiple winner at Albion Park and Ipswich where she won in a fast 30.10 and 30.44 respectively.

Next dam Tears (Token Prince-Tearaway Tears) ran a Richmond 618m track record.

Tearaway Tears (Gun Law Osti-Trojan Tears) ran a Meadows distance track record.

Next dam Trojan Tears (New Tears-Tears Girl) was a champion stayer of her time and greyhound of the year in both Queensland and NSW.

Her dam Tears Girl (Kismet Range-Tears Laddie) was second in the Qld Cup and the Qld Puppy Classic and won in 32.60 at the Gabba.

My great mate Mick Zammit was foreman for his brother Tony at the time Tears Girl was racing in the kennel.

Mick tells me Tears Girl was potentially a champion stayer but broke down before they could get her over distance.

Tears Girl was a litter sister to Markaboy a real star at the Gabba who had the misfortune of running into champion Dancing Gamble.

Next dam Tears Laddie (Brown Lad-Tem Tear) was a 1984 Sandown Cup finalist.

EVERY dam in Space Girl Tears' direct damline for six generations has been outstanding.

That in itself should help Space Girl Tears produce.

So why Djays Octane?

The son of Flying Penske-One More Secret was a first rate galloper on the racetrack but has become the current "boom" young stud dog in the US.

Yes, I know he's "unlucky" white and black in colour, but that hasn't stopped him yet!

Djays Octane is, in my opinion, and as I told Mark Duclos some months ago, is absolutely perfect as a mate for his bitch.

First, Djays Octane is bred to be the top sire he is carrying the full relations Fast N Loose and her brother Roosters Spur 3x4 and positioned to impact.

Putting Space Girl Tears to Djays Octane will bring in a 2x3 cross of Flying Penske and Kiowa Sweet Trey and there has never been a more successful cross in US greyhound racing history.

That's because Kiowa Sweet Trey also carries a cross of Roosters Spur to link with his sister Fast N Loose in Penske.

(N.B. there is another very potent cross between Penske and Trey as well but further back in the pedigree.)

Oswald Cobblepot is a dominant ancestor in the pedigree of Djays Octane coming in as his damsire.

Kiowa Sweet Trey is a SON of Oswald Cobblepot who is duplicated in this mating 3x4 and sex balanced.

Those are the obvious crosses, but there is much more to this mating but it all comes back in the bloodlines.

Djays Octane's dam One More Secret is bred along almost identical lines to Kiowa Sweet Trey.

Both are by Oswald Cobblepot, but they both have Share Profit on their direct damline, and they also bring in SS Jeno, but SS Jeno's litter sister SS Ann is also found in One More Secret.

Interestingly, SS Jeno's dam Kitty Hobbs is by Metal Jet (Rocket Jet-Gorgeous Babe) a litter brother to legend Tell You Why and the great Magic Babe (in-bred in the dam of Temlee).

But it doesn't end there.

In the damline of Djays Octane is a bitch called Just Lilly (Ballyheigue Moon-Evening Daisy).

In the damline of Space Girl Tears' sire Bekim Bale is a legend bitch called Westmead Flight (Flashy Sir-Westmead Kim).

Just Lilly is in-bred to champion sire Monalee Champion and his half sister Monalee Peg.

Westmead Flight is in-bred to Monalee Champion and his half sister Sheilas Pride.

In the mating of Djays Octane and Space Girl Tears, the similarly bred Just Lilly and Westmead Flight come in 5x5 � but they are positioned to be able to impact greatly with each other.

The Aussie bloodlines in Space Girl Tears are many, coming via Bartrim Bale (her grandsire) and Tears (her granddam).

We mentioned Metal Jet earlier who is found three times in this mating via SS Jeno and SS Ann.

Metal Jet's immediate damline is that of the famous Gemdelina the dam of Takiri whose son Second Stage sired Bowetzel.

This is also the damline of legend Elsie Moss (in-bred to this female family).

Elsie Moss is duplicated in the pedigree of Pitstock Park the dam of Brother Fox and Acacia Park.

Brother Fox is found SIX times in the pedigree of Space Girl Tears.

With all that line breeding, the offspring of the Djays Octane-Space Girl Tears mating "should" show pace, as well as the obligatory strength.

No wonder Mark Duclos was getting impatient.

For her next mating, Mark is already planning to put Space Girl Tears to My Bro Fabio.