AN IDOL of his growing up and for years a fierce, but friendly rival, champion driver Greg Sugars was able to pay the ultimate tribute to Gavin Lang at Bendigo's Lord's Raceway on Friday night.
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An inspired Sugars produced another masterful performance to steer the Emma Stewart-trained favourite Utopia ($1.30) to an all-the-way win in the inaugural Gavin Lang Aldebaran Park Trotting Mile for two-year-old colts and geldings.
The race, a tribute to Gavin Lang, who lost his battle with cancer in April this year aged 61, was one of two new Group 3 features contested on the night.
The other, a mile trot for the two-year-old fillies, honoured veteran horseman Graeme - Gavin's father - who was lost to the sport in April.
It was won by Andy and Kate Gath with Aldebaran Ursula in a new Australian record for two-year-olds, over the mile distance.
Sugars was able to dictate the race after gaining an easy lead from the pole.
Utopia, after leading throughout, was then able to sneak clear at the top of the straight before going on to record an assured 1.6m win over Breeders Crown winner Watts Up Majestic for former Bendigo trainer-driver Chris Svanosio. Kyvalley Hotspur (Brent Lilley/Chris Alford) was 4.5m off the winner in third.
"I got away with murder really, that's one thing Gavin would have taught me in the past - it doesn't matter how fast you go, as long as you get the job done," Sugars said.
"I've only started driving him (Utopia), but he's started his career pretty impressively.
"My observations of him are he probably had a few runs there where he was just a little bit below par from what we expected.
"But his last few runs he's really put the writing on the wall and he is getting back to where he looked like being when he first started his career.
"He's ripped up a 27.9 final quarter with ease really. He's obviously not a one-trick pony, which is going to hold him in great stead going forward in better races."
Utopia, a colt by US sire Trixton out of Gluteus Maximus, won his fourth race from eight starts for his large group of owners and went back-to-back for the first time in his career following victory in the Group 3 Breeders Crown Silver Trot at Bendigo last month.
For Sugars, there was no greater honour than winning a race named after Gavin Lang - and on a night devoted to honouring the Lang family's enduring legacy.
"I've been lucky enough to spend time with each and every one (of the Langs) over the years. Gavin, in particular, was an idol of mine growing up.
"From the moment I decided that I wanted to be a trotting driver, he's the one I wanted to be and ... if I could replicate anything he'd done and get anywhere near his achievements I'd be pretty happy.
"He taught me a lot over the years, to win this race in his honour is another feather in my cap and I'm very proud to be a part of it."
I've been lucky enough to spend time with each and every one (of the Langs) over the years. Gavin, in particular, was an idol of mine growing up.
- Greg Sugars
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