Just Believe Stuns Swedes with Huge Second to Local Champ

AUSSIE trotting star Just Believe will return home despite a monstrous career-best second to one of the world’s best trotters in Sweden last night (Saturday).

The brilliant Francesco Zet led throughout to win his 19th successive race, but Just Believe’s effort to make an early move to park outside the winner and run him to 1.5m after doing the all the work had everyone raving.

“Fantastic, Australia. I hope you’re cheering, you’ve got a champion,” Swedish race caller Harry Cheadle boomed. “I can tell you now, he was absolutely fantastic tonight. We saw him on the outside of the world champion, the whole of Australia you must be shouting.”

Swedish form expert and TV presenter Adam Aronsson added: “What an amazing performance. He really offered a fight all the way to the finishing line against a champion horse. I hope we see him back again next year.”

Co-trainer and driver Greg Sugars was ecstatic after the run.

“I’m so proud of him, mate. That was as good as winning. Everyone here told us how good Francesco Zet was so to park outside him the whole way and go down fighting, I’m so proud,” he said.

Sugars was asked whether he would consider staying in Sweden longer or returning next year.

“Yeah, next year is definitely a possibility if all goes well and everyone is keen, I’d love to come back, but for now our time is done, I have to get back home and do some work.”

Co-trainer Jess Tubbs, who watched from home in Myrniong, was emotional after the performance.

“That was just incredible. I’m so proud of him. He was so brave. We’re crying in the kitchen watching it on TrotsVision,” she said.

It was the last of three Swedish races for Just Believe, which started with heartbreak when he was tightened for room on the home bend, galloped and finished tailed-out in a heat of the Elitloppet on May 28.

Just Believe then ran a slashing third at Ostersund last Saturday week before backing-up a week later for last night’s huge performance.

The runs came after a daunting 60-hour trip from his Myrniong stables to Stockholm.

“His travel continues now. It’s a 12-hour drive back to Stockholm from here (Boden),” Sugars said. “I’ll then fly home myself, but he’ll have a couple of weeks resting at Stig Johansson’s farm and then go to Germany where he’s got two weeks of quarantine before flying home at the end of July.

“He’s then got another two weeks quarantine, so we won’t see him for another six weeks or.”

Just Believe had already stamped himself as Australia’s top trotter with wins in the Inter Dominion final last December and Great Southern Star in February.

“Given the travel and timing, all we’ve really got in mind is getting him ready to defend that Inter Dominion title in December,” Tubbs said.

·       Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.