First Cup is sweet for Sugars

Kyle Sugars achieved a harness racing career milestone when she steered the current country cups king One Over All (Angus Hall) to victory in Stawell Trotters Cup. 

Faced with the task of giving the front markers a 50 metre start around the tight Stawell circuit, One Over All was still last of the main body of the field with a lap to travel. 

Jackie Barker tried to pinch a winning break on the leader Double Helix down the back however Sugars pulled out to stake her claim with 600 metres to travel and One Over All ($2.50 fav) put in the big strides to grab victory on the line. 

The win provided the 40-year-old Sugars with her first country cup success. 

“I’m stoked because I’ve never won a country cup before and I’ve always wanted to win a trotters’ cup,” a delighted Sugars said after the race  

“He’s one of my favorites this horse, I work him most days at home and I’m absolutely rapt,” she said. 

Sugars admitted she thought she was giving the leader too big a start down the back straight. 

“He put in a big burst down the back and I rounded up the horses in front of me but I saw Double Helix with a big kick and I thought I was going to struggle to run her down,” she said.  

“I was still giving her three or four lengths at the top of the straight and she rated her horse really well but my horse really gobbled up the ground with his speed,  which is his forte, and he stuck his nose out when it counted.” 

Sugars conceded she wasn’t sure which horse had won on the line. 

“I wasn’t confident and I would have been happy with a dead heat,” she said. 

While the win was Sugars’ first country cup victory it was One Over All’s fifth country cup success this season and he will take out the Maoris Idol Trophy and earn his connections a $25,000 bonus.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink