In form stable ready to plunder top features

They are one of the buzz harness racing stables in Australia and now Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars are preparing to plunder some Queensland riches with three of their stars.

Beyond just clocking up the winners at a frantic rate, the Victorian-based husband and wife team also boasts some serious feature race talent in their blossoming barn.

Chariots Of Fire winner and Miracle Mile placegetter Better Eclipse (Betterthancheddar) headlines the team, but right behind him is high-class former Kiwi pacer Triple Eight (American Ideal).

While fans will have to wait another week to see Better Eclipse resume from a spell, Triple Eight is a dominant favourite to make it three wins from as many starts this campaign in the Italian Cup (2240m) at Melton on Saturday night.

“We’re really happy with how he’s come back. We’re not getting carried away because we know he’s not beating much, but he’s doing it very well,” Greg Sugars said.

“We planned to get him back racing a bit earlier for these race thinking it was a way for him to get some confidence up and that’s how it’s turned out so far.

“This will be his last run before he heads to Queensland. We’re taking him, Better Eclipse and our mare Momentslikethese.”

Triple Eight has so impressed Sugars he knows a tough call is looming as far as which pacer to drive when Triple Eight clashes with Better Eclipse, which may be as soon as the Group 1 Sunshine Sprint at Albion Park on July 16.

“There’s not a great deal between them at home. It’ll be a tough decision,” he said.

Better Eclipse stamped himself as one of the most improved and exciting pacers in the land when he upstaged a strong field to win the Group 1 Chariots Of Fire and followed it with a third to King Of Swing in the Miracle Mile on March 12. He hasn’t raced since.

“He’s ready to go. There’s a free-for-all for him at Melton next Saturday night,” Sugars said.

“He actually had three trials with Triple Eight, but we’ve just been keeping him up to the mark at home because we wanted him on the fresh side for Queensland.

“He’ll run next week, probably back-up again at Melton a week later and then it’s two from there into the (Group 1) Rising Sun (Albion Park, July 9).

“All three of ours will race on that first night (July 9) and there’s races for them the following two weeks as well.

“Jess (Tubbs) and I are just working through how to manage the long trip away with the team at home. We’ll try and make it so one of us is in Queensland all the time.”

Momentslikethese (Art Major) will tackle a string of mares’ races in Queensland, headed by the Group 1 Golden Girl.

On the home front, Sugars is excited about the prospects of two-year-old Aureus, who made it two wins from as many starts at Melton last weekend.

“She’s got an electric turn of speed and won really well last Saturday. The Vicbred and Breeders Crown are her targets,” he said.

For complete Melton Saturday fields, click here.

by Adam Hamilton, for Newscorp