Just Believe thrills the crowd on Ballarat Cup night

Champion trotter Just Believe (Orlando Vici) stamped his seemingly invincible status in this part of the world when he accounted for a crack harness racing line up in the Aldebaran Park The Knight Pistol at Ballarat.

Greg Sugars was content to sit parked on Just Believe ($1.28 fav) on the outside of the leader Mufasa Metro with the French stallion Callmethebreeze camped on the favorites back in the one out one back trail.

Just Believe lengthened stride around the home turn before striding clear on straightening, and with the crowd roaring, the son of Orlando Vinci racked up his sixth consecutive win since returning from contesting the Elitlopp in Sweden.

BREATHTAKING! ⭐
A phenomenal performance from Just Believe in the Aldebaran Park The Knight Pistol tonight at Ballarat. Congratulations Greg Sugars and Jess Tubbs. pic.twitter.com/nKoHOgry9X

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) January 20, 2024

Both the runner up Callmethebreeze and third placed Keayang Ignite were excellent efforts behind the benchmark of Australasian trotting.

Sugars agreed the urgings of the crowd was palatable on the track.

“I could hear the crowd up the straight which was pretty cool, I’ve had a few of those moments with this horse and I hope there’s plenty more,” Sugars said.

Sugars said he was wary of the calibre of those horses in pursuit.

“The French horse was the query and he was on our back and John (Justice) drove to beat us, so that was the only worry in the back of my mind that the French horse was getting such a good trip and there were horses like Arcee Phoenix who is such a good swooper,” he said.

“Just Beleive is such a good racehorse that he settles and it doesn’t matter what the speed is as when you ask him to go he really finds that acceleration.”

Sugars admitted the lack of recent racing was a slight concern given the quality of his rivals.

“We were pretty happy with him coming into the race but not having a run since the Inter Dominion we were slightly vulnerable but I could tell with how well he was travelling that he was on song,” he said.

For complete race results, click here.

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink