Just Believe ID23 Final Win Photo by Dan Costello
CHAMPION trotter Just Believe returns for his one and only lead-up race at Melton on Saturday night before another huge international challenge.
The eight-year-old proudly flew the Aussie flag with three fantastic runs against some of the world's best trotters in Sweden through May/June last year.
Just Believe has returned home a better horse for the trip, posting nine wins and a close second from his ten starts since, including the Brisbane Inter Dominion final in December.
He's booked on another plane, this time to New Zealand to chase the inaugural $NZ575,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 12.
"He'll fly over on April 3. There's a race at Cambridge the day after, but we think it's cutting it a bit fine, so this week will almost certainly be the only run he has before the big one on April 12," trainer Jess Tubbs said.
"I keep thinking it's a while away, but it's actually just around the corner."
Tubbs bypassed last Saturday's Group 1 Hammerhead Trotters' Mile at Menangle, won by Just Believe's now arch-rival Callmethebreeze, to focus on the NZ trip.
"He'd already had the trip to Brisbane before Christmas and who knows what else is in store later this year, so we thought we'd skip Sydney," Tubbs said.
"It's only a couple of weeks since his last run. He's full of himself and working well at home. We're thrilled they got enough runners for this race to go ahead."
Just Believe will face just six rivals in the Scotch Notch Memorial (2240m) and start from barrier five. The other key runners are classy Ollivici (seven), speedy Sundons Courage (five), consistent Chinese Whisper (six) and emerging Sebastians Boy (two).
Tubbs is looking forward to returning to NZ after Just Believe's stablemate, Better Eclipse, ran a terrific fourth at the corresponding meeting last year in the $NZ1mil Race By Grins.
Better Eclipse will accompany Just Believe again next month.
"They're great mates at home. Better Eclipse just got back from Sydney, and we've put him back out in the yard, so 'Harry' (Just Believe's stable name) is happy. We put another horse in there while Better Eclipse was away, and Harry ripped his rug off," Tubbs laughed.
"It's so good they can travel together. Both are experienced travellers, but it's always good to have a travel mate, especially if they spend as much time together as these two."
The TAB Trot is shaping up as the strongest trotting race in this part of the world for at least 20 years.
"It's a very interesting race and the field … my goodness, it's going to be extraordinary. It's another example of how great these slot races are for the sport," Tubbs said.
"Obviously, Sweden was a huge challenge last year, and this will be another big one, but he always makes us proud, and we can't wait to get over there."
"The fact that he got beaten a couple of runs back is good in some ways. It sort of feels like everyone can take a breath now."
"There's a bit of pressure off, and in the end, things like winning streaks and track records don't matter; only winning the really big races does."
Speculation is growing that Just Believe may still return to Sweden for another tilt at the famed Elitlopp trot in Stockholm in late May.
"Everything is still possible. At this stage, we're focused on Cambridge, and then there's the option of staying in NZ for some other big races through the end of May, or he could still possibly end up going back to Europe. It's all up in the air at the moment," Tubbs said.
* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.
