The Candyman put on a clinic at Tabcorp Park Melton on Saturday night, with Greg Sugars steering five of the eight winners, including a masterful drive on Imperial Whiz that was one for ages.

It was the fifth time in his 20-year career and only the second time on an eight-race card that Sugars has reached the mark, which has only been achieved at Tabcorp Park Melton by two others drivers – Chris Alford (three times) and Mark Purdon (once). Tonight's feat also make Sugars only the second driver to achieve the feat twice at Melton.

“One of those nights when things just kept going my way. Very pleased. It doesn’t always work out that way,” Sugars said. “There’s no way I thought I was coming home with five tonight. Very happy.”

TROTS CENTRE: THEULTIMATE TALENT READY TO BURN TONIGHT

The Sugars show kicked off in race three with Emma Stewart trained Two Times Bettor reminding of her elite talent, bouncing back from a difficult first-up showing by sweeping three-wide and storming home in the Allied Express Pace.

“If you put her first up run out of your mind then she looked very well placed tonight and it proved to be the case,” Sugars said. “She put her best foot forward.”

And then came the Myrniong reinsman’s shining moment in the Woodlands Stud Trot, when he smoothly extricated Imperial Whiz from his tricky pegs draw by slicing through a gap and rounding the field to lead.

Sugars gained some separation on the final turn and held off challenges from Fling About and Scallywag Sam to win by a short half-head.

“It worked out really well. I wanted to put the horse into the race if possible and that was the way it worked out,” Sugars said. “He needed the breaks to go his way and got a well-deserved win, very pleased for (trainer) Danny (Mullan) and the team.”

Race six, the Alabar Pace, brought a far more regulation performance with Egodan sliding to the front after an early tussle with mare Our Step Up and holding all at bay in a 55.2-second last half over the middle distance. That made it two from two for Egodan since joining the Emma Stewart stable.

Stewart and Sugars then combined for two on the trot, with Freddy Funk winning the next – the TAB Long May We Play Pace – in a race ran upside down, with quick first and second quarters suiting the backmarkers.

Freddy Funk had last crack at them and took the honours by a half-head from Our Sportscaster.

And it was a similar story in the last, the Aldebaran Park Trot, where young stars I Am Pegasus and Sammy Showdown biffed it out in the early stages and when they tired late the grand mare Auntie Poppy kept on keeping on to run away with a 14-metre win from Ymbro Wasted.

“She doesn’t shirk an issue Poppy, she’s pretty tough,” Sugars. “When she was going to be out the back tonight we needed a genuine run tempo. Knew the other two didn’t have the race fitness on their side like she did, so thought they would be vulnerable if they went to war, which they sort of did. Was very happy mid-race with the way things were working out.”

Amid the Sugars domination in-form reinsman Ryan Duffy still slid in to claim two races – winning with The Dude for Andy Gath and Bettor Be The Bomb for Basil Dooley – while Rhys Nicholson gave a hearty salute when he scored in the remaining race for dad John with Its Back In The Day.