Kate Gath wrestled with her emotions after steering Tango Tara to victory in the Vale Greg Sugars Free For All at Melton on Saturday night.
Moments earlier in the home straight she had surged past Jess Tubbs-trained Rocknroll Hammer ($2.40 fav) and James Herbertson in the red, white and green silks made famous by the late Sugars.
“I kind of feel bad for winning,” Gath said. “I’m pretty competitive, but I can’t say going past 'Herbie' up the straight was as good a feeling as what it normally is when you win.”
Gath sensed the crowd willing Rocknroll Hammer on after that pacer straightened with a clear lead.
“It’s not great to beat his stable runners, but it really is an honour to win,” she said.
Each runner at the meeting wore a ribbon of Sugars’ driving colors in their hair.
“I think we’re all pretty numb and in shock, it’s unbelievable. I just can’t stop thinking about Jess and Greg’s family,” Gath said.
“He was so talented, he was gifted. Look at the horseman he was, look at the trainer he was and look at the driver he was.
“I forget how many times Andy (Gath) would say to me ‘watch Greg in this race, watch how Greg drove this one’.
“He was so good over the short trip off the second row - it’s so hard to win here - and Greg got it right every time.”
A short time earlier, all drivers, along with Sugars’ wife Jess, assembled on the track to observe a minute’s silence in a tribute to the champion horseman.
A large crowd gathered on the lawn to join in the tribute.
The winner of more than $430,000 in prizemoney, Tango Tara could find himself sunning his nine-year-old bones in Queensland in a couple of months’ time.
“We’re planning on taking a few up to the Inter Dominion and his owner Norm (Jenkin) lives up there,” Gath said.
“I just love this horse, he’s a stable favorite and he’s about the only I don’t want to get rid of.
“Being an old horse now, Norm talks about sending him to a trainer at the beach, so by winning these races along the way I get to keep him here for me.”
Outstanding trotting mare Keayang Zahara did Greg Sugars racing silks proud when she carried them to victory while adding win number 15 to her picket fence career form line in the Hertz Melton Trotters Free For All.
Having her first start since winning the NZ Trotting Derby in December, Keayang Zahara ($1.20 fav) sat parked outside the multiple Group 1 winner Im Ready Jet before finding sufficient energy to score by a head on the line in a mile rate of 1:55.2 for the 1720 metres.
Glen Craven, having his first drive on the seven-time Group 1 winner, had trouble keeping his feelings in check after the race.
“That’s why we’re in the game, that's just unbelievable. I can’t thank the whole family enough for giving me the opportunity to drive on this horse and Jess (Tubbs) for letting me wear Greg's colours,” Craven said.
“I’ve known Greg since I started driving, he was always such a great driver to get advice off when I was learning at the start but at the end of the day, he was just a true friend to me and to so many people. He's just going to be greatly missed,” he said.
Craven said Keayang Zahara had to call on all her considerable reserves of talent to maintain her unbeaten career record.
“Im Ready Jet is a top-quality mare, she has been for a long, long time and she’s awfully hard to beat when she’s in front,” he said.
“This mare had to really dig deep and it’s a credit to everyone at home that had her spot on to race first-up and do it that way.”