Better Eclipse - 2023 ID Heat 2 Win. Photo by Dan Costello
SUPERSTAR driver Greg Sugars hasn’t given up hope of winning both Inter Dominion finals.
While superstar trotter Just Believe dominates betting at $1.20 in the trotting final for Sugars and wife Jess Tubbs, their lone pacing contender, Better Eclipse, is a $12 outsider.
Sugars knows Better Eclipse’s chances sit with luck in running and how aggressively big guns Leap To Fame and Swayzee go at each other through the middle stages of the race.
“I think it’s quite an interesting draw,” he said. “It’s made for a great race, especially with Swayzee not known for his gate speed.
“Grant (Dixon, driving Leap To Fame) is going to have to see if Swayzee is vulnerable early and he has to try and get the advantage on him at the start.
“I need them to go hard early and the potential is there with Nerano and Turn It Up also likely to race each other early to get the inside running.”
Sugars isn’t fussed by a back row draw with Better Eclipse (gate 11).
“Draws aren’t as important to him,” he said. “He’s more a luck in running horse at this level.”
Driving Sugars’ positivity is how well Better Eclipse has performed through the heats and come through them.
“He’s just a different horse. This whole preparation he’s shown he’s a far better horse than 12 months ago. His heat runs have backed that up,” he said.
Better Eclipse won on opening night, ran a terrific second to Nerano after working hard on night two and returned to winning form in his third round heat last Saturday night.
“He’s just bigger, stronger and more seasoned. And he’s a year older. You can see the difference, not only in how he’s racing, but how he’s handling the runs, too,” he said.
And there is nothing but good news for Just Believe’s army of fans heading into the final.
“He’s great,” Sugars said. “We had him fit at home before he went up, but we also knew the racing would bring him on.
“He seems to have gotten better with each run through the series and that win on the third night was something else. He felt amazing.
“I hoped for a good front row draw and we got it in gate four.
“I’m sure Chris (Alford) will have a crack at the start on Queen Elida because you don’t expect to get these big races on a platter, but I’m not worried about him getting across. I know how Just Believe can get out when I want him to.”
Just Believe is aiming to become the first trotter in Inter Dominion history to cleansweep two successive Inter Dominions.
And Sugars is chasing his third successive win in the final after partnering Maori Law to win in 2021 then Just Believe last year.
