Better Eclipse - Chariots Of Fire Photo by Club Menangle
JUST as trotting star Just Believe arrives home from Europe, Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars’ other stable star, Better Eclipse, returns to racing.
Just Believe, who earned huge respect during a three-race Swedish campaign, landed back in Melbourne this morning (Wednesday) for two weeks of quarantine at Mickleham before he rejoins the Myrniong stables of Tubbs and Sugars.
“All things going to plan, he’ll be back in the stables on August 16,” Tubbs said. “Apparently he thrived and put on 30kgs while spelling in quarantine in Germany, but we’re still keen for him to have a while to relax in the paddock once he gets home.”
Tubbs said the sole focus for the rest of the year was a defence of the Inter Dominion crown Just Believe won in Melbourne last year. This year’s series is at Brisbane’s Albion Park in December.
“If he’s well and comes through the trip in good order, we’ve got plenty of time to get him ready for Brisbane,” she said.
Asked if they would consider returning to Sweden for the famous Elitlopp Trot and other features again next year, Tubbs said: “We haven’t talked seriously about it, but we did learn a lot this year and it would be a lot less daunting to go again.”
More immediately, their multiple Group 1-winning pacer Better Eclipse returns from a spell at Melton on Saturday in search of more feature race success.
Joining him in the Our Maestro Free-For-All (2240m) is his stable companion and fellow Group 1-performer, Triple Eight.
“Yes, the boys are back. They had a good bowl along at the Melton trials last week and both fit and well,” Tubbs said.
Sugars will drive Better Eclipse from gate 13, while the very much in-form James Herbertson has the gig on Triple Eight from barrier 11.
Tubbs said both would be set for races like the Group 1 Len Smith Mile at Menangle on September 2, the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 14 and the Brisbane Inter Dominion series in December.
It will add to an already big September 2 for Sugars at Menangle given he is the new driver for buzz pacer Captain Ravishing, the $5 third favourite for the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1mil TAB Eureka, on the same day.
“Greg’s already going, so it makes sense to send one or both of the boys (Better Eclipse and/or Triple Eight) up as well for the Len Smith,” Tubbs said.
“Then we’ve got the Victoria Cup in our backyard and the Inter Dominion at the end of the year.”
Sugars will head to Geelong on Friday night to partner Captain Ravishing in a workout between races two and three as he prepares for the TAB Eureka.
- Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
