Giants of the harness racing industry pay respect to Greg Sugars who tragically died on Saturday aged 40
GREG Sugars' impact was as big off the track as it was on it.
News of Sugars' sudden passing of a suspected aneurysm at just 40 years of age on Saturday sparked an overflow of emotions across the harness racing world, even reaching Scandinavia and the US.
Sugars was not only one of the brightest stars in Australian harness racing, but one of its greatest ambassadors and most popular figures.
He drove his first winner as a 16 year-old at Globe Derby on December 5, 2000 and went on to drive over 4000 winners, including 64 at Group 1 level.
He was in Sydney campaigning three horses for he and wife, Jess Tubbs, when he passed away in his sleep.
Tubbs, who forged such a formidable training team with Sugars, posted the news on their Larajay Farm social media accounts on Saturday.
'With an absolutely shattered heart that doesn't want to believe it's possibly true, I need to share the news that Greg passed away in his sleep last night … we are heartbroken and very much still processing everything … some time and space will be appreciated,' the post read.
For all of Sugars' feature race success, his career was propelled to another level in recent years through the deeds of champion trotter Just Believe whose exploits spanned across three countries.
Such was the lasting impact Sugars leaves behind, sometimes in just brief visits, drivers at race meetings throughout Sweden, NZ and Australia will wear black armbands in his memory on the day of his funeral.
Australia's premier driver James Herbertson, speaking from the US where he is on a working holiday, credited Sugars for shaping his career.
'He was one of the best, as a driver, a trainer and a human being,' he said. 'When I say he was like a parent to me, I mean it. He took me under his wing and made me into the driver I am today.
'I'll really miss him and I know everyone back home is feeling numb.'
Champion rival Luke McCarthy bonded with Sugars when they shared a room together for 10 days at the 2004 Australian Young Drivers' Championship in Perth.
'We just clicked and became very close,' he said. 'It's hard to get your head around this. He's one of the best drivers the game has seen and a great bloke on and off the track.'
Australia's most successful driver Chris Alford spoke of how he and Sugars started as heated rivals, but Sugars' nature transformed their relationship.
'When he first moved to Victoria things were rough between us because we're both fierce competitors, but he quickly grew to earn my respect and that of everyone,' he said.
'He was a brilliant and hard competitor on the track but a great friend off it. I'm remembering all the great trips we had to NZ and elsewhere together.'
Premier trainer Andy Gath said Sugars was one of most talented people he had seen in racing.
'He was as gifted as you would witness and you could always see the love he had for the horses he was associated with. The mutual respect from his fellow competitors said it all.'
For all of Sugars' success, partnering with Jess Tubbs in life and business took it to another level.
They were a powerhouse.
'That was on full display when they took Just Believe to Sweden in 2023. To see the respect and admiration they gained and the great way they represented their country was remarkable,' Harness Racing Australia CEO Andrew Kelly said.
Harness Racing Victoria abandoned Saturday night's Melton meeting when news of Sugars' passing broke.
The meeting at Menangle went on, with Fighter Command, which was to be driven by Sugars, scoring under the guidance of Gavin Fitzpatrick.
'The industry is devastated. We've lost one of the game's best, a wonderful person and great ambassador,' HRV chairman Bernard Saundry said.
'Our hearts go out to Jess and the entire Sugars family and we're here to support all those in the industry struggling with the loss.'
Sugars is survived by wife Jess, father Ross, mother Kerry and sister Kylie.
Details of his funeral are yet to be finalised.
***************************
THE REMARKABLE CAREER OF GREG SUGARS
4028 CAREER WINS
6500 CAREER PLACINGS
64 GROUP 1 WINS
PRIZEMONEY: $38,411,314
MAJOR WINS
* 2022 and '23 Inter Dominion Trotting finals (Just Believe)
* 2023 Great Southern Star (Just Believe)
* 2022 Chariots Of Fire (Better Eclipse)
* 2025 NSW Derby (Always Hot)
* 2024 TAB Trot NZ (Just Believe)
* 2024 Rowe Cup (Just Believe)
* 2024 Dominion Trot (Just Believe)
* 2024 Auckland Cup (Better Eclipse)
* 2024 NZ National Trot (Just Believe)
* 2016 Australian Gold 2YO final (The Storm Inside)
* 2015 Queensland Championship (Our Hi Jinx)
* 2011 NZ Northern Derby (Sushi Sushi)
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While defending champion Bryson DeChambeau led the exodus of big names to miss the halfway cut, Scott carved out a second straight even-par round of 70 to be tied fourth in the clubhouse. Contesting his 96th consecutive major, 44-year-old Scott showed the younger stars how to play major championship golf, repeatedly rebounding from bogeys with birdies to sit just three shots off the pace at the halfway mark of the tournament. Sam Burns fired the low round of the championship, a brilliant five-under 65 to snare the clubhouse lead at three under. Fellow American and first-round leader JJ Spaun is second, one stroke behind Burns, after following up his starting 66 with a 72 on Friday (Saturday AEST). Seeking his maiden major, Norwegian super talent Viktor Hovland is the only other player above Scott on the leaderboard and one of only three players in red numbers at one under after posting a second-round 70. Scott's fellow former world No.1 Jason Day battled back into the picture with the second-lowest round of the day to also raise hopes of a famous Australian triumph at the US Open's most gruelling venue. Former PGA champ Day was way off the pace after his opening round of 76 but demonstrated his enduring class with a three-under 67 to get back to three over for the tournament, just six shots back entering the weekend in a tie for 13th. Day's round, which began at the 10th hole, was ignited by a terrific eagle at his third hole - the gigantic par-five 12th that measures 647 yards. He struck his approach from 323 yards to 20 feet from the hole and sank the eagle putt. Two birdies quickly followed in the next five holes. His biggest disappointment as he looked set to finish with a 66 after two more birdies on the homeward nine was his wayward drive at the ninth that led to an anti-climactic final bogey. Burns, who shot a final-round 62 on Sunday at the Canadian Open before losing in a play-off, also started his second round on the back nine and birdied 11, 13, 17 and 18. He responded to his lone bogey at the first hole by putting his approach at the next hole to about six feet. American world No.1 Scottie Scheffler had five bogeys and four birdies in his 71 to be left at four over, alongside countryman Collin Morikawa (71) and fellow dual major winner Jon Rahm, who exploded after shooting a 75. The second-round spoiler left the superstar Spaniard seven shots adrift of Burns. "Honestly, I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective," Rahm said. "Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole, so it's frustrating." Masters champion Rory McIlroy birdied the last hole in a round of 72 to be six under and just inside the cut line. Australian Marc Leishman, who had begun promisingly with a 71, suffered in his second round with a 75 that included a double-bogey six at the ninth hole to also hover at six over. Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, one of 14 LIV Golf players in the field, started his day two shots off the pace but dropped back after a 74 that featured eight bogeys. After out-duelling McIlroy down the stretch to reign last year at Pinehurst, DeChambeau won't feature on the weekend after slumping to 10 over with a second-round 77. At nine over following rounds of 77 and 72, Australian Min Woo Lee was also sent packing, along with dual major winner Justin Thomas, 2016 Oakmont champion Dustin Johnson, fellow former world No.1 Justin Rose, LIV Golf dominator Joaquin Niemann and Swedish sensation Ludvig Aberg. Incredibly, Johnson and Niemann were among some 60 players to finish at 10 over or worse, with American George Duangmanee racking up a +35 total with horror rounds of 86 and 89. With agencies
