Len Sugars has many fond memories of harness racing’s halcyon days at Wayville.

Sugars, 92, the patriarch of one of South Australian and Australian harness racing’s most famous families, was a top horsemen in era when crowds flocked to the circuit on a Saturday night.

“In those days, South Australia was the premier trotting state in Australia and nothing was bigger than Wayville on a Saturday night,’’ Sugars said.

The return to Adelaide Showground at Wayville on October 27 won’t quite reach the dizzying heights of the good old days in SA trotting, when 45,000 fans packed in to witness champion Cardigan Bay win the 13,000-pound 1963 Inter Dominion after starting with a 24-yard handicap.

The dramatic race saw the horse, which was badly injured 12 months earlier, stamp himself as one of the sport’s greats.

A fall on the home turn saw Sydney pacer Cele finish the race with two drivers after Bill Shinn was thrown from sulky of his horse, Smokey Eric, and finished the race alongside Cele’s driver Charlie Parsons.

Sugars’ best memories come from his horse Van Nut.

“He won about 26 races and really set up my stable and I’m sure someone was looking over me when he came about. I really think God must have sent him to me,” Sugars said.

“He was only 22 months old, he won seven trials at Klemzig and Campbelltown under the name Sonross but for some reason I wasn’t allowed to name him that.

“We took him to Kapunda for his first start and got 40/1 because very few knew he had trialled as Sonross.”

Sugars said the horse possessed an unbelievable turn of foot suited around the small spaces of Wayville.

“I would be sitting 14th or 15th in those days in a field of 18,’’ Sugars said.

“I could to cut him loose and within the length of the straight, he could take off and be in front of them all.

“The moment I looked into his eye I knew he was a good horse, horses are like people, you can tell a lot about person when you look into their eyes.’’

 

 

Sugars also drove Laradoc in Richmond Lass’s 1969 Inter Dominion win at Wayville.

“Laradoc was trained by Jack Caldow and he sent her across and we won a heat of the Inter Dominion before finishing unplaced in the final,” Sugars said.

“In her heat win she reared at the start and nearly tipped me out but was still good enough to come down, hit her gear, lead and win.”

Sugars said a three-month driving suspension paved the way for one of his proudest moments when son Ross — awarded a Living Legend of Australian Harness Racing in 2015 — made his driving debut.

“I drove a horse called Perkandi the week before, he was a 6/4 ($2.50) favourite and I was happy to sit three wide waiting to make a run before another driver tried to pocket me four wide,’’ Sugars recalled.

“I leant across and tried to push him out of the way. After the race, the stewards called me in and asked me what happened. They were going to give me a two-year disqualification.

“I told them I was driving the favourite and anyone who came outside me had ulterior motives, they said because I was so honest they only gave me a three-month suspension.’’

Just seven days later Ross established a world record, which still stands, driving three winners — Red Score, Hallett and Perkandi — at his first three drives on a city track and as a B-grade licensed driver.

“That was one of my proudest moments without a doubt,’’ Len Sugars said.

He said being trackside at Wayville on October 27 to watch grandson Greg, one of Australia’s top drivers, would be a special moment for the family.

“It’s going to be a great night to be back at Wayville — and seeing Greg drive there will be a real thrill, who would have thought that would ever happen?” he said.

“Greg is a much better driver than both Rossy and myself. Nothing bothers him. Rossy would get upset with anyone at the drop of a hat and I was a bit the same.

“Greg has patience and beautiful hands, horses just run for him, he’s very good.’’

Greg Sugars said he was looking forward to experiencing Wayville first-hand.

“Growing up in harness racing, all you ever heard about was how good it was back in the day at Wayville, it’s been something that hasn’t been able to be replicated in modern times,’’ Greg Sugars said.

“To go back there is going to be a real thrill and hopefully I can get a win there as well.”

Harness Racing SA chief executive John Lewis said the return to Wayville was an amazing opportunity to take harness racing back to its spiritual home.

“It’s got me beat how they got 45,000 people into Wayville for the 1963 Inter,” Lewis said.

“We are expecting the night to be a sell-out, which will be around 15,000 people.

“Bringing the trots back to Wayville has generated enormous public interest and promises to be the biggest ‘must attend’ sporting event in Adelaide over the spring.

“We urge everyone to buy their tickets for Wayville now — the demand has been very strong, and we would be disappointed if people missed out.”

Lincoln Moore, Racing Writer, Sunday Mail (SA)

Reprinted with permission of The Advertiser