Kylie Sugars will always have a special place in her heart for emerging squaregaiter Ijustcalledtosay.

And that’s not just because of his exciting ability or catchy name, but more due to the conversations she would have about him with her late brother Greg.

“We bought him from the yearling sales, and the same year that I bought him, Greg bought a couple. We always asked each other how the yearlings were,” Kylie recalled.

“I just kept saying, ‘There’s something about this Love You trotter – I just love him – there’s just something about him.’

“He’s been a lot of work, he’s had a few quirks and idiosyncrasies, and we have put a lot of time, patience and effort into him.

“Greg kept asking me, ‘Where’s this Love You trotter?’. I kept telling him that he will be alright, he just needs time.

“He would say, ‘It’s no good telling me about him – I want to see him at the races!’”

Sadly, Greg would never witness his sister’s horse hit the track, with Ijustcalledtosay making a debut appearance a few weeks after his sudden and devastating passing in late April.

But he would have been looking down with a smile as the three-year-old sat parked and scored a narrow but decisive maiden victory at Maryborough on May 21.

Kylie saluted the heavens as she crossed the line and admits there were mixed emotions as she claimed her first victory since the champion reinsman’s death.

“For him to come out and win like he did on debut, it was meant to be,” Kylie said. “I’d never saluted before, and it just sort of happened to be honest, but when he hit the line there was a feeling of immense satisfaction.

“At the same time, it was bittersweet – Greg would’ve been the first one down at the stalls. He would’ve said, ‘Good job,’ and I would’ve turned around and said, ‘Told you so!’”

Ijustcalledtosay has had two subsequent wins during Friday meetings at Victorian harness racing headquarters and will tackle his biggest test this Saturday night at the same track when he meets some handy rivals in the Hertz Melton 3YO 1MW Trot.

“I don’t want to be unfair and put big wraps on him,” Kylie said. “Every race he has gone in thus far has been a step-up from the last one, and Saturday night is another step-up again and step-up in distance.

“Every couple of weeks we will pick out a race and work towards it. After every race, his work is better than the week before. He keeps improving and getting stronger.

“He’s still got a lot to learn and a bit to prove, but he’s certainly headed in the right direction and showing plenty of promise.”

Kylie gives credit to her father Ross for spotting the son of Love You as a yearling at the property of breeders Haley and Chris Lang, with the trotter now raced by a group of long-term friends from South Australia, including former top caller Jamie Braidwood.

Feature events such as the Nutrien, Vicbred and Need For Speed series are high on the agenda for Ijustcalledtosay, with hopes he might earn a shot at the Victoria Trotters Derby in November.

Picture: Maryborough Harness Racing Club