It was February 21, 2025.
A few hours after the first of the Ultimate Driver Challenge in the Albion Park.
After some drinks and contacts on the route after the races, a petite group decided to “kick” for a few more in a bar in the city center.
Greg Sugar was one of them.
Sugars was a fan of the Ultimate Driver Challenge, but not participated. Instead, he made the trip – one of less than 24 hours – to see friends from the USA, superstar driver Yannick Gingras and his wife Vicki.
Perhaps he was originally intended to spend the night all weekend, but the sugar had driven Menangle on Saturday evening, so Brisbane was hit-and-run.
But the sugar was not missing the chance to see his friends. He had told them that he would come.
As his wife Jess Tubbs, Sugar's death in tribute in tribute since the devastating death last Friday, to be her year to do things differently in order to enjoy life more.
As if the truncheon went to Menangle on Saturday evening to drive, Tubbs took her chance to come to Brisbane to see the Gingra's couple.
I knew sugar for almost 20 years and wrote one of the first stories about the then stimulating newborn talent when he first moved from South Australia to the substantial smoke in Victoria.
We were not friends, but we worked closely together on many occasions as a journo and participants. We have spoken many times, but mostly about racing things. He was always helpful and endeavor to advertise the game.
I would like to believe that it was a relationship that is based on mutual respect. I certainly had a lot of it for Greg.
That night in Brisbane, in the early morning in the bar, I got a look at the Greg sugar, so many knew so much better than me and loved.
He left the gingras to come and chat.
Sugars thanked me for the way I and Jess had given room when the career of her Champions Trotter only believed that he was in the balance for a few weeks and before she finally retired. He also appreciated the tributes for the trotters of the substantial trotter.
It stayed with me. Sugar didn't have to do that. Most would not.
He only had a few hours in Brisbane to be with “his” people.
Since his death I have had numerous long, challenging and deeply emotional conversations with people who knew sugar much better than me and him.
There was a context in Brisbane this night. That was Greg, only Greg.
Most of the fact that we have ever spoken was with just believing in Sweden during his time. Maybe sometimes he was a bit bored and missed at home. Undoubtedly, he also had more time in his hands than running the huge stable at home with Jess and driving at so many meetings.
What remains the most for me is his absolute love for the horse. He spoke of them, not just believe how they were humans.
Sugars was absolutely disappointed after believing that in this heat of the legendary elitelopp in Solvalla you galloped and lost all chances.
On the other side of the world, which faces some of the biggest trans everywhere and without a support network, it would have been basic for sugar to pull the pen and go home.
Even if only someone else had remained, he could have trained and driven him.
But the pride of the sugar and an additional layer that he seemed to feel in order to prove a point for down under trotting.
The satisfaction and joy he felt when he only believed that in these two other runs she scouted two epic places in Elite Company in these two other runs. They were two of the best runs of his outstanding career.
Sugar and “Harry” (only belief stable) won an army of Scandinavian fans and truck loads of respect.
You saw that 18 months later with the flood of homage from this part of the world after the death of sugar.
The sugar had a curriculum vitae in Hall of Fame on the route, but what he did for the game from the game was just as critical.
I am so cheerful that he experienced the elitelopp for all his ups and downs and ended the journey in such a uplifting way. He had to feel like the hero he was in the eyes of many.
As he said at the time while he said to Sweden: “It is the journey of a life, we just had to do it.”
Rather, most of them were of the opinion that it would be the first of many such experiences for sugar at the peak of his strength.
It is simply so challenging to understand that this will not be the case.
from Adam HamiltonFor Gurtrennsport Victoria
