Jess Tubbs is growing in confidence she can cap an emotional return to New Zealand with Group 1 success tomorrow (Friday).
It was 12 months when Tubbs and husband, Greg Sugars, were the toast of Addington after their champion trotter Just Believe won the Group 1 Dominion Trot.
Tubbs is back by herself this time, trying to win the $NZ500,000 Ascent with Tracy The Jet, after Sugars tragically died in his sleep in April.
“It’s been a really tough trip personally, very emotional,” Tubbs said. “Greg was so loved here and had so many friends, who all want to talk about him and remember him.
“We were a great team and any travel without him is very hard, especially coming back here.”
The Australian dominance at Tuesday’s huge NZ Cup meeting at Addington while Tubbs was trackside sparked even more memories.
“It’s quite phenomenal how things have changed. The Kiwis used to come to Australia and beat us up, but now we’re coming here and beating them in their biggest races,” she said.
“We were all talking about it on Tuesday and I think Greg and ‘Harry’ (Just Believe’s stable name) played a big role in helping turn things around.”
Queensland trotter Gus followed in Just Believe’s hoofprints and won the Dominion on Tuesday, while emerging NSW star Kingman scored one of the greatest wins in NZ Cup history, edging out the great Leap To Fame, in an Aussie quinella.
Australia has key runners in five of the major races tomorrow on a stellar Addington Show Day card.
Tracy The Jet, unbeaten in six starts this campaign, is one of the best chances of the day as $2.10 favourite in the $NZ500,000 Ascent for three-year-old trotters.
Tubbs couldn’t be happier with the brilliant filly going into the feature.
“Everything has come together well. I’m really happy,” she said. “We’ve been lucky with the draw (gate three) and it gives ‘Herbie’ (driver James Herbertson) options. Whether he finds the front or is outside the leader, she’ll be right up there.
“It’s been a while between runs, but she’s had some strong workouts at home.
“I took her in for a look around Addington last Saturday and then I was absolutely rapt with her last serious workout here (Stonewall Stud stables) earlier in the week.”
Tracy The Jet will be joined by polemarker Gatesys Gem as the Aussies in The Ascent.
Other Aussies runners across the major races today are: Leap To Fame (Gp1 NZ Pacing FFA), Jilliby Ballerini, Gus and Parisian Artiste (Gp 1 NZ Trotting FFA), Fate Awaits (The Velocity) and Kyvalley Ray (Gp1 2YO Sires’ final).
Leap To Fame and Jilliby Ballerini are commanding $1.60 favourites to bounce back brave or luckless defeats on Cup Day.
NZ Cup winner Kingman has bypassed tomorrow’s NZ FFA, but will stay in NZ for the Group 1 Christian Cullen at Addington tomorrow week.
