Another wide front row draw for Just Believe in Sweden

Brilliant Victorian harness racing reinsman Greg Sugars will have to navigate another wide front row draw after Just Believe (Orlando Vici) was handed gate eight for his second assignment in Sweden.

Australia’s star squaregaiter will begin from outside the front row when he tackles the Jämtlands Stora Pris in Östersund during the early hours of Sunday morning AEST.

It follows a wide draw in his heat of Elitloppet on May 28.

“We didn’t want to be drawing there again, but we’ve learnt obviously a bit out of the Elitlopp and we know a bit better about how he measures up, especially with his gate speed. It’s not such a question mark now,” trainer Jess Tubbs told thetrots.com.au.

“Being 2140m, it gives Greg the opportunity to either run the gate at the start or he can work around after they settle.

“We’ll just wait and see and hope to not get knocked over this time.”

Just Believe was forced back to last in his heat of Elitloppet and appeared to be travelling well approaching the home turn when he struck a rival’s sulky and galloped out of the race.

Tubbs said the fact “Harry” had been right up on the pace in the early stages of that race at Solvalla meant there was probably a different mindset from her and Sugars heading into the Jämtlands Stora Pris.

“Everyone had spoken so much about how hot the tempo would be and basically gave us no chance, so we went into it with that attitude and that wasn’t the case at all,” Tubbs said.

“Had Greg wanted to be forward at the start, he could have been. Time again, the race would have looked very different unfortunately. But such is life, you live and learn.”

Tubbs, who landed back home in Australia on Thursday, said Just Believe had continued to do well in Sweden.

“He’s handled everything much better than the rest of us,” Tubbs said.

“He doesn’t really seem to care he’s at the other end of the world.”

Tubbs said there were plans to take Just Believe to Boden on June 17, but nothing would be finalised until after his race this weekend.

“We’ll just see how he goes through this run, see how the horse is, see whether he can earn any money this time around and reassess things after that,” Tubbs said.

“So if he races again it will be Boden further north, but we are just not locked into anything yet. We’ll get through this run and see where we’re at.”

Just Believe will step out in the Jämtlands Stora Pris at 2.20am AEST this Sunday, with the race to be shown live on Sky Racing.

The horse has nine rivals and the field can be seen by clicking here.

by Tim O’Connor, for HRV