The Real Sherlock Photo by Stuart McCormick
GREG Sugars has driven over 3800 winners and won 57 Group 1 races, but Saturday night could be his biggest night in the sulky yet.
The 38-year-old is the key driver across the stellar Victoria Cup meeting with key bookings in all five Group 1 races, headed by the heavily backed $6 chance Better Eclipse from barrier one in the Victoria Cup itself.
Sugars' other Group 1 drives are: The Real Sherlock ($2.50 favourite, Victoria Derby); She's Ruby Roo ($6.50, Victoria Trotters' Oaks), First Dance ($10, Victoria Oaks) and One Over All ($11, Bill Collins Trotters' Sprint).
"It's an exciting night; I'm certainly on some nice horses with good winning chances," he said.
Better Eclipse is a special horse to Sugars as he and his wife, Jess Tubbs, have already won two Group 1 races with him, and he won the time-honoured Group 2 Kilmore Cup last start.
"Like most of these, he needed a good draw, and he's certainly got that from the pole," he said.
"He's just so consistent in these big races, and he showed at Kilmore he beat some of the best with the right run.
"I'll be coming out as quickly as we can to use the draw and hoping we can land behind the leader, but a few others will be desperate to get across early."
Sugars said Better Eclipse was a much more seasoned pacer than when he finished third to Rock N Roll Doo and Honolua Bay – two of his rivals on Saturday night in last year's Victoria Cup.
"There's no doubt about that … and his work this week says he's improved quite a bit out of the Kilmore win, too," he said.
"If he gets the right trip, I'm sure he'll be right in the finish of what's a very strong race."
Sugars seems most bullish about his chances of winning the $200,000 Victoria Derby on the Mark and Nathan Purdon-trained Kiwi pacer The Real Sherlock.
"Even though he's drawn outside the front (seven), having the likes of Petracca and The Lost Storm off the back row really helps us," he said.
"I was so impressed with him in the heat last week. The stats showed he covered something like 44m more than the horses on the inside, and he still ran some amazing sectional times to win."
"I think there's a chance we can work forward and find the lead, and if that happens, he'll take some beating."
Sugars thinks the emerging Shes Ruby Roo can cause a minor upset in the Victoria Trotters' Oaks with luck from an inside back row draw.
"Oh, she's good enough, I'm sure of that. You always need luck from those draws, but she's one I really like," he said.
"First Dance is a filly improving with every run, and she'll give a sight in the (pacing) Oaks, too."
· Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
