By Michael Guerin
The harness racing community on both sides of the Tasman is reeling after the sudden death of one of its superstars in Victorian horseman Greg Sugars.
The 40-year-old was found dead in his hotel room near the Menangle racetrack outside Sydney on Saturday afternoon. He is believed to have died in his sleep.
Sugars had driven from Victoria to Sydney on Friday to campaign horses trained by his wife Jess Tubbs, who confirmed his passing on social media on Saturday night.
When Sugars didn’t turn up to attend to the horses at a friend’s stable on Saturday morning there was concern and when phone calls weren’t answered that local trainer went to Sugars’ Campbelltown Hotel.
When calls to his room still went unanswered the trainer was let into Sugars’ room and found him unresponsive.
The death of the fit, healthy and immensely popular Sugars has left the tight-knit harness racing industry in a fog of disbelief as he had emerged as one of its brightest lights at a time when one has never been more needed.
He had matured into one of Australasia’s best big race drivers but it was the emergence of champion trotter Just Believe over the last three years that thrust Sugars and Tubbs on to the world stage.
That brought into two extended campaigns in New Zealand and a trip to Sweden, where Sugars and Tubbs were treated like rockstars at the famous Elitlopp meeting.
While Just Believe didn’t win in Sweden it was still a career highlight for Sugars who reined over 4000 winners and won over A$40milliion in career stakes.
Sugars spent much of 2024 in New Zealand campaigning both Just Believe and Better Eclipse and last May 24 he enjoyed one of the greatest nights ever by a visiting horseman as he reined Better Eclipse and Just Believe to win the Auckland Cup and Rowe Cups respectively.
While Sugars’ popularity and place at the top table of harness racing were never in doubt in Australia his time here in the last two years saw him become New Zealand’s favourite Australian reinsman.
What endeared him to so many was his obvious love of the horse.
When Just Believe retired this year Sugars spoke about how he missed his equine mate, how a perfect afternoon would be buying a six pack of beer and sitting in the retirement paddock just hanging out with the champion who took him around the world.
Sugars would spend much of his time when campaigning in New Zealand with close friend and fellow horseman Joshua Dickie. Like so many Dickie was struggling to process the news on Sunday.
“I can’t believe it,” says Dickie.
“He was the ultimate professional on the track, so talented and hard working.
“But off the track he would let his guard down and was a lot of fun. He was a great guy and the word I’d use to describe him the most is loyal.
“We just miss him, he was our friend.”
Sugars is from a famous harness family, with his father Ross a trainer. So too is Tubbs and the pair had ascended to be the glamour couple of Australian harness racing.
Away from the personal tragedy and brutal shock of his loss for those closest to him, his death will leave a crater-sized hole on the harness racing landscape.
Sugars was the embodiment of what is good in racing: skilled, polite, respected for his integrity and with a deep love for the horse.
In his famous driving colours with stars emblazoned across the chest he was every inch the struggling code’s “Captain Australia”, a man to be aspired to.
He was the hero horseman harness racing needed, who sadly went to bed on Anzac Day and never woke up.
Harness community mourn the loss of one of its best
By Adam Hamilton
Greg 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 71 at Group 1 level.
For all of Sugars’ feature race success, his career was propelled to another level when he teamed with Tubbs in life and in business, then again in recent years through the deeds of Just Believe across three countries.
Such was the lasting impact Sugars made, sometimes in just brief visits, drivers in race meetings throughout Sweden, NZ and Australian 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 as 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.”
Harness Racing Australia CEO Andrew Kelly fondly remembers being in awe of the impact Sugars and Tubbs had during their 2023 trip to Sweden with Just Believe.
“That was on full display when they took Just Believe over. To see the respect and admiration they gained and the great way they represented their country was remarkable,” he said.
Harness Racing Victoria abandoned Saturday night’s Melton meeting when news of Sugars’ passing broke.
“The industry is devastated. We’ve lost 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.
