Excitement machine Better Eclipse is being set on a path for a third-up crack at The Rising Sun in Queensland.
The Jess Tubbs-trained Chariots of Fire winner is getting set for his first race since a third placing in March’s Miracle Mile and will likely have one more Victorian run before heading north with stablemates Triple Eight and Momentslikethese.
Tubbs’ husband and star driver Greg Sugars said Better Eclipse was ready to go for this Saturday night’s Dann Event Hire Pace after a trial at Bacchus Marsh over the weekend.
“I’m very happy with the way he’s worked up and he had a really good hit-out at the trials on Saturday in preparation for this race, so everything seems to be well on track with him, “ Sugars told Trots Talk.
“He’s the type of horse that seems to go well fresh. He had about a month off after the Miracle Mile, along with Triple Eight, and they’ve worked up together.
“They had three trials there about six weeks or so ago I suppose and Triple Eight went straight into the races, whereas this fellow, we decided to back off there for a couple of weeks and freshen him right up.
“We just wanted to keep him sparingly raced before we head north to Queensland…”
Following Saturday night’s first-up assignment at Melton, Sugars said Better Eclipse would likely back-up at the same track the following weekend before preparing for The Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 9.
The Rising Sun is for three and four-year-old pacers and will be worth $305,000 in 2022. The race also offers a $100,000 bonus for a 3YO winner.
Ladies In Red (Emma Stewart), Ripp (Bernie Hewitt) and Leap To Fame (Grant Dixon) are the other horses already invited to The Rising Sun, with the winner of the Queensland Sun on July 2 also gaining a spot in the field. The other runners will be decided by handicappers via the nomination process, which closes on July 4.
LISTEN TO GREG SUGARS’ FULL INTERVIEW ON TROTS TALK BELOW:
