Sweet success for Sugars

By John Dunne

It was a Victorian quinella for the ages: Better Eclipse earned himself a place in history as the fastest Australian bred pacer when he returned a stunning mile rate of 1:47.5 taking out a memorable edition of the Chariots Of Fire at Menangle (NSW) on Saturday 19 February.

And the runner-up Bondi Lockdown produced a performance rarely seen from a beaten horse let alone in the most prestigious four-year-old Group 1 in the land.

Sofia Arvidsson on the leader Bettor Call Me embarked on a mission to find the bottom of Bondi Lockdown’s considerable reserves of stamina when the $3.40 favorite joined her after working from an outside barrier in a blistering 24.3sec first quarter.

When Aaron Dunn asked Bondi Lockdown for the supreme effort the son of Art Major shrugged off the relentless mid-race tempo and appeared to gain a winning break halfway down the long Menangle straight.

It was left to Greg Sugars and Better Eclipse to emerge from the gasping pack and launch a challenge.

A withering finale from Better Eclipse ($8) was sufficient for the son of Betterthancheddar to reel in Bondi Lockdown, holding a metre-and-a-half margin on the line.

Sugars admitted he and Myrniong trainer Jess Tubbs were still coming to terms with the enormity of the situation they found themselves in, having not only won the Chariots but earned automatic entry into the Miracle Mile with Better Eclipse.

Jess and I woke up the other morning and both of us really can’t believe we have a runner in the Miracle Mile,” Sugars said.

He also acknowledged Bondi Lockdown’s remarkable will to win.

“I was coming quick enough to think ‘I’ve got you’, but the other horse wouldn’t lie down and for a moment I thought ‘I might not have you’, and it was only when my horse poked his head in front with 50 metres to go,” he said.

To read the full story – Simply click on the following link

https://issuu.com/themooraboolnews/docs/mn_2022-03-01/20

in the 1 March 2022 edition
OR
pick up a paper around your town.