Michael can now dare to believe

Astute Victorian trainer Michael Hughes can be excused for looking toward the next few months with a fair amount of optimism.

Hughes, based 75 kilometres south east of Melbourne at Iona, a stone’s throw from Garfield, has his classy pair of square-gaiters in Just Believe and Is That A Bid nominated for the Sydney Trotters Inter Dominion series in late November and early December.

“I just hope they can make the cut. If they do, it would be great to be up there,” he said.

Five-year-old Just Believe (Orlando Vici-Heavens Above (Like A Prayer) took a big step towards enhancing his claims with an impressive win at Bendigo on Saturday night.

Driven patiently by Rodney “Rocket” Petroff, the gelding may have been the 60/1 rank outsider of the field, but looked magnificent with a long, sustaining run to the line to score easily.

“It was certainly a nice surprise. On his recent trials we did expect that he would go okay, but not that good,” Hughes said.

“He had an awkward back row draw and was first-up from a break, so he was up against it a bit. But it was exciting because he was ranked number 37 for the Inter and that might creep him up a little more.”
Hughes said early on in the trotter’s career Just Believe looked like being very good.

“He ran second at a country meeting and then strung together four consecutive wins, three of these at Melton and one at Kilmore,” he said.

Just Believe was then spelled and returned to racing to record wins in September and December of last year.

But Hughes said the horse “wasn’t happy” toward the end of that campaign and was sent for another break.

“We took him across to Adelaide for a feature event and he didn’t do any good at all. So that was it and he went off to the paddock for three months,” he said.

“This time in he feels terrific and is trotting very nicely.”

Just Believe, raced by the Iona Trotter Syndicate, has now had 29 starts for eight wins and seven placings for over $90,000 in stakes.

His better-known stablemate Is That A Bid (Andover Hall-Elusive Charm (Cr Commando) returns to racing at Melton on Friday night, after having last raced in late August.

Is That A Bid, raced by a strong supporter of the stable in Malcolm Wells and his family group, has been an awesome money-spinner with five wins and 19 placings from 34 starts for $143,000.

The gelding has two Group One wins to his name-taking out the VicBred Platinum 2yo Colts and Geldings final in May, 2019, and then 19 months later, claiming the Aldebaran Park VicBred Super Series final.

Hughes says he’s fortunate to have some nice owners who don’t mind racing trotters.

“Malcolm Wells was previously just a pacing fan, but he’s now turned toward the trotters. We’ve also got Max Grant and the Arcadia Harness Racing Group and a few other syndicates,” he said.

“My dad Des, who’s running the Warragul Club (and formerly conducted the Gippsland Harness Racing Training Centre at Warragul for many years) has been great in getting syndicates together. Trotters do give you some headaches, but I enjoy training them.”

Hughes, who has been in the sport for over 30 years, worked night-shift at supermarkets during his early days, so he could spend time with the horses during the day.

“I’ve been lucky to have had some nice ones that raced at the top level like Cruisin Around, who held the track record at Bendigo for a while. Another one was Ronerail who won a VicBred 4yo final and an Inter Dominion consolation.”

Ronerail, which also won the SA Trotters Cup and Coulter Crown, was owned by Garry Rogers, a legend and colorful larrikin of the V8 super car world.

Hughes said he and well-known horseman Geoff Walker worked at the Rogers’ horse property, with Geoff employed as private trainer.

“I was there for three or four years with Geoff, then when he left, I got the golden opportunity of taking over the position working for Garry myself for 15 years. It was such a memorable time,” Hughes said.

In recent years, Hughes moved to a 50-acre property at Iona where he not only prepares a 10-member standardbred team, predominantly made up of trotters, but pre-trains a few gallopers at times.

“It’s made me a lot busier, but I’m enjoying life,” he said.

Here is the replay of Just Believe’s victory at Bendigo last Saturday night:

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink