It was February 21, 2025.

A couple of hours after the first of two nights of the Ultimate Driver Challenge at Albion Park.

After some drinks and socialising at the track following the races, a small group decided to “kick-on” for a few more in a downtown bar.

Greg Sugars was one of them.

Sugars was a fan of Ultimate Driver Challenge, but wasn’t competing in it. Instead, he made the trip – a rushed one of less than 24 hours – largely to see friends from the US, superstar driver Yannick Gingras and his wife, Vicki.

Maybe he’d originally planned to stay the whole weekend, but Sugars had drives at Menangle on the Saturday night, so Brisbane was hit-and-run.

But Sugars wasn’t missing the chance to see his friends. He’d told them he was coming.

As his wife, Jess Tubbs, has penned in tributes since Sugars’ devastating passing last Friday week, this was to be their year of doing things differently … enjoying life more.

As if passing the baton, when Sugars went to Menangle on the Saturday night to drive, Tubbs took her chance to get to Brisbane to see the Gingras couple.

I’d known Sugars for almost 20 years and wrote one of the first stories about the then exciting young talent when he first moved from South Australia to the big smoke in Victoria.

We weren’t mates, but worked closely together on many occasions as journo and participant. We spoke often, but largely about racing stuff. He was always helpful and eager to promote the game.

I’d like to think it was a relationship built on mutual respect. I certainly had loads of it for Greg.

That night in Brisbane, in the bar in the early hours of the morning, I got a glimpse into the Greg Sugars so many knew far better than me and loved.

He left the Gingras to come over and chat.

Sugars thanked me for the way I’d given he and Jess space when the career of their champion trotter Just Believe was in limbo for a few weeks and before they eventually retired him. He was also appreciative of the tributes for the great trotter’s deeds.

It stuck with me. Sugars didn’t need to do that. Most wouldn’t have.

He had but a few hours in Brisbane to be with “his” people.

Since his passing, I’ve had numerous long, difficult and deeply emotional conversations with people who knew Sugars far better than I did and were much closer to him.

It gave context to that night in Brisbane. That was Greg just being Greg.

The most we ever spoke was during his time in Sweden with Just Believe. Maybe he was a bit bored at times and missing home. No doubt he had more time on his hands, too, compared to running the huge stable at home with Jess and driving at so many meetings.

What sticks with me most is his absolute love for the horse. He spoke of them, not only Just Believe, like they were people.

Sugars was absolutely gutted after Just Believe struck trouble, galloped and lost all chance in that heat of the iconic Elitlopp at Solvalla.

On the other side of the world, facing some of the greatest trotters anywhere and without a support network, it would have been easy for Sugars to pull the pin and go home.

Even if Just Believe stayed, someone else could’ve trained and driven him.

But Sugars’ pride, and an extra layer he seemed to feel to prove a point for Down Under trotting, kicked in.

The satisfaction and joy he felt when Just Believe bounced-back for two epic placings in elite company in those other two runs was immense. They were two of the best runs of his stellar career.

Sugars and “Harry” (Just Believe’s stable name) won an army of Scandinavian fans and truckloads of respect.

You saw that 18 months later with the deluge of tributes from that part of the world after Sugars’ passing.

Sugars boasted a Hall of Fame CV on the track, but what he did off it for the game was every bit as important.

I’m so glad he got to experience the Elitlopp for all its highs and lows, and that the trip finished in such an uplifting fashion. He got to feel like the hero he was in the eyes of many.

As he said at the time while preparing to head to Sweden: “It’s the trip of a lifetime, we just had to do it.”

Rather, most felt it would be the first of many such experiences for Sugars at the height of his powers.

It’s just so hard to comprehend that won’t be the case.