Just Believe does it again in ID23 Trotters Final

By Danny Matthews

Trotter Just Believe maintains perfect record in Inter Dominion Trotters series two years straight.

Driver Greg Sugars has no hesitation in admitting that he was feeling the pressure but the aptly named Just Believe settled all of those feelings by snaring a second Group 1 Inter Dominion Trotters Championship Final (2680m) at Albion Park.

Just Believe blasted onto the trotting scene as a headline action in 2022 which culminated in winning all of the heats and the final in Melbourne last December, and now doing the same through the series in Brisbane this time.

On track to become Australia’s first million dollar earning trotter, Just Believe ($1.20) dazzled harness racing fans with a victory margin of just short of five metres over Mufasa Metro ($19) with Queen Elida ($6.50) just over two metres away in third.

For Sugars this was his third trotters final win in succession with his first at Menangle, just outside of Sydney, in 2021.

It was a crowning win for him and his trainer wife, Jess Tubbs.

“He’s a phenomenal horse,” an emotional Sugars said.

“He’s just a wonderful horse and he’s got a never say die attitude.”

The ease of the seven-year-old gelding’s win begged the question whether it really was in reality.

“It was in the end,” Sugars said.

“I can’t remember a time, even in a couple of races where he has been beaten here, he’s never come off the track tired.

“He always runs through the line and he’s a very special animal. So proud of the job he has been able to do.”

He also admitted that the pressure was certainly there in the lead-up and somewhat different to 2022.

“It is so special,” he added.
“It was a very different build-up this time around. There was so much expectation.
 

“We dreamt a big dream going to Sweden earlier in the year and there were concerns that it was going to put this carnival in jeopardy.

“It has been a hell of a season for us with so many great moments and a few lows along the way.

“The really caps it off. There’s a lot of pressure going into it with a horse like this and one thing about him he helps alleviate that pressure because he’s such a cool horse to do anything with.”

In a slowly run race until Sugars pushed the speed on as Just Believe pressed forward with 600-metres to go, the race seemed over, as the field turned for home.

It looked easy and it turned out it was.

“He’s a professional racehorse,” Sugars added.

“He’s so perfect and there is nothing he can’t do.

“It makes my job a hell of a lot easier, I know that.”

“It is absolute sheer relief as well as excitement.