Just Believe’s second Inter Dominion trotting title could propel him back to Sweden.

by Adam Hamilton

The wider trotting world could get to see Just Believe again after he successfully defended his Inter Dominion trotting crown in dominant style at Albion Park on Saturday night (Dec. 16).

It came after he spent a couple of months in Sweden mid-year where he earned huge respect and an army of new global fans.

Many tuned-in to watch the rising 8-year-old sit parked outside the leader and arrogantly cruise away to win by almost five meters in a 1:59.2 mile rate for the long 2,680m trip. He ripped home in :55.8 and :28.

Asked if Just Believe could return for another crack at the famed Elitlopp next May, co-trainer/driver Greg Sugars said: “Who knows? The world really could be our oyster again. He’s a better horse for the trip, no doubt about it, but we don’t have to decide for a while.

“Ultimately, it will probably be up to these guys [pointing to Just Believe’s owners] and what they want to do next year. But for now, we’ll just savor this moment and look towards the big races at home [Melton] early next year.”

Just Believe only had one lead-up race — a Bendigo win — after returning from Sweden in preparation for the Inter Dominion series.

“We had him fit, but also knew he’d grow through the series,” Sugars said. “He did just that, he felt unbelievable again tonight. I was happy to go as slowly as I could because I thought I could outsprint the leader, Mufasa Metro, and we did it really easily at the finish.

“He’s just a perfect racehorse. He makes my job easy. He’s got this never-say-die attitude and he’s never come off the track tired. I’m just so proud of the horse and what he’s done for us.”

The twist in consideration in Just Believe’s plans next year is the advent of a new $650,000 trotting slot race in Cambridge in April.

“It’s big money, but we can’t do both it and Sweden,” Sugars said. “It’s given us more to think about, for sure.”

Just Believe’s win was his 23rd from 65 starts and took his earnings close to $1 million at $954,233.

Emotions overflowed and trainer/driver Grant Dixon said 70 years of family hopes and came true when local hero Leap To Fame thrashed his rivals in last night’s Group 1 Inter Dominion pacing final at Albion Park.

Dixon, a record-breaker and legend of Queensland harness racing, deserved success on the sport’s national stage and couldn’t have scripted it better.

“To win this, the sport’s biggest race, and my biggest win, here in front of friends, family and a hometown crowd… it doesn’t get any better,” he said. “There’s 70 years of our family behind this win, through dad [Bill] and now myself and Trista. Dad trained for so long before me and I wouldn’t be here doing this without him.”

Bill Dixon passed away almost four years ago and was the only missing part in a memorable night.

Grant and wife, Trista, did get to share the win with their biggest supporters, leviathan owner, breeder and sponsor Kevin Seymour and his wife, Kay.

“That adds so much to it,” Grant said. “Kevin and Kay have been incredible supporters to us and to share this horse together and this win is very special.”

It was also revenge for Leap To Fame, who turned the tables on his older half-brother, Swayzee, from their only previous meeting in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake at the same track and distance on July 22.

That defeat and subsequent losses, albeit brave starts, in the Eureka and Victoria Cup had taken some gloss off Leap To Fame.

But the 4-year-old stamped his greatness with a dominant display on the biggest stage.

And his 1:53.5 mile rate for the long 2,680m trip took 0.3sec off the track record, without Dixon pulling the ear plugs.

The much-improved Better Eclipse raced a tremendous, but well-held second, while Swayzee’s effort to burn early and sit parked outside the leader and still finish third was enormous.

“He just doesn’t give up,” Swayzee’s driver Cam Hart said. “Credit to the winner and I was so proud of our guy, too.

“It adds to the great rivalry and when they meet again.”

Leap To Fame’s won 29 of his 39 starts with six second and two thirds and now banked $1,797,382.

Dixon will decide in the next week or so whether to aim next at the Group 1 Hunter Cup at Melton in early February or wait for the Miracle Mile a month later in Sydney.