Fighter Command’s emotion-charged and dazzling win headlined an opening night to treasure at Brisbane Inter Dominion.
The big, gawky but gifted pacer is an intrinsic link to the late Greg Sugars as the “project” horse he and wife, Jess Tubbs, were so excited about developing together.
The mind went straight back to Sugars when Fighter Command showed all the talent he and Tubbs know is tucked away in that still raw and unlocked frame by storming home from near last for a breathtaking Inter Dominion heat win.
It stirred memories of the same track in late 2023 when Sugars and Tubbs, at the height of their combined powers, won the Inter Dominion trotting final with the great Just Believe and had Better Eclipse beat all but champion Leap To Fame in the pacing final.
But this was a trip Tubbs almost didn’t make.
“I’m glad I came now,” she grinned after the win. “It was both or none (referring to also taking Tracy The Jet for the Group 1 Great Square).”
In reality, Tracy The Jet was the hope of the side as favourite in the Great Square, while Tubbs said in her words the trip was “another part of the learning curve” for Fighter Command.
“I’m very realistic about where he sits amongst those big guys, but think the experience of the series will do him good for the future,” Tubbs said before making the trip from Myrniong to Albion Park.
Last night showed he sits even closer than perhaps Tubbs realises right now, albeit the bar will keep going up when Fighter Command meets the biggest guns in Leap To Fame, Captains Mistress and The Janitor in Saturday week’s $1 million Grand Final.
The win kick-started a fantastic night for driver Jason Lee, who followed a gem of a drive on Fighter Command with THE drive of the night aboard his family’s owner trotter, Jilliby Dreamlover, in the $150,000 Group 1 Great Square.
“Pretty handy drive, wasn’t it?” co-trainer Paddy Lee said. “We always thought she would lead and probably have Dash Dosh on her back, who worried us as far as being able to run her down on the sprint lane.
“So, we had the plan to then take a trial ourselves, but had to pick the right horse and that would then push Dash Dosh back to three (back) on the pegs.”
Ironically, that horse was the Tubbs-trained Tracy The Jet, who took Jilliby Dreamlover right to the sprint lane and she did the rest, exploding when needed to beat an unlucky Kiwi mare Dash Dosh.
Another Victorian, Russell Jack’s recent Kiwi import Crackerjack, produced the run of the race to storm home from near last and run third.
Jilliby Dreamlover’s win was Team Lee’s second successive Great Square win, following champion mare Keayang Zahara’s victory last year.
Excitingly, she will take the golden ticket into the $500,000 Inter Dominion final on Saturday week.
“She’s one to do it with,” Paddy Lee said. “She’s been there (open-aged Group 1 racing) and done it before.”
Jilliby Dreamlover won a heat of the Great Southern Star in February and ran third to stablemates Keayang Zahara and Jilliby Ballerini in the final.
Most of the trotting final field will be Victorians, but will numbers being enough to beat superstar local Gus, who was arrogant winning his opening night heat.
Victorians snared the trifecta in heat won with Gotfeelingsyouknow dead-heating for top prize with Rockinwithattitude and defending champion Arcee Phoenix a fantastic third.
Boom comeback mare Susan Is Her Name got a pass mark in fifth spot, but will need to improve plenty in the next two runs be a serious final threat.
There was plenty to like about the runs of Victorians Im Bobby (second) Keayang Stuka (third) and Parisian Artiste (fourth) in heat two, even those they had to eat Gus’ dust,
Bay Of Biscay effectively booked his spot in the final when he dug deep to win the first pacing heat, but connections will need a new driver for the big one.
Cam Hart drove Bay Of Biscay last night, but will switch to Captains Mistress in the final.
Bay Of Biscay’s Emma Stewart-trained stablemate War Dan Buddy was a solid second in his heat, while even the much travelled Captain Ravishing ran an eye-catching fifth at his first start for Victorian trainer Lisa Lewis.
Lewis is Captain Ravishing’s ninth trainer and delighted with the run.
“Gee, he went well and he should only improve on it. I was really pleased,” she said.
Night one was a ripper for the Victorians, let’s hope it rolls on into the second round of heats next Saturday night.
PHOTOS: Toby Coutts
