by Adam Hamilton

As the magnificence of Brisbane Inter Dominion night still lingers, the brightest stars of the show will do it all again at Victoria’s biggest meeting on Saturday (Feb. 3).

Globally renowned trotter Just Believe, or “Harry” as he is known by many fans, and Down Under’s standout pacer Leap To Fame will headline a stellar Hunter Cup card at Melton.

Although trotting is the poor relation to pacing in Australia (albeit the gap is closing), such is Just Believe’s aura and following, he will challenge Leap To Fame for top billing on the night.

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Just Believe’s trainer Jess Tubbs said. “It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?

“He’s got such a big following and taking him to Sweden last year has been such a big part of that. I love that we’ve got a horse who is so widely known by his stable name [Harry].”

Just Believe was a star on the rise when we went to Sweden for Elitloppet and two subsequent races last May/June, but he’s returned a megastar… and clearly a better horse.

The 8-year-old made it six wins from as many starts since returning home when he cruised to victory in the Group 2 Knight Pistol Trot at Ballarat last Saturday night (Jan. 20).

“He’s better, for sure,” Tubbs said. “His attitude has changed at home and his races show it, too. He’s had to do the work [outside the leader] so many times, including the Inter Dominion final and last Saturday night, but it doesn’t faze him.

“You run out of things to say about him except he’s a very special horse and we’re privileged to have him.”

Just Believe will tackle the Group 2 Dullard Cup at Melton on Saturday night (Jan. 27) ahead of a title defense of the $300,000 Great Southern Star next Saturday.

Like Elitloppet and the Little Brown Jug, the Great Southern Star consists of heats and a final on the same race card.

Just Believe was beaten in his heat last year, but cemented his rise to greatness with a victory in the final.

As good as the gelding was clean-sweeping his three heats and final of the Brisbane Inter Dominion last December — he did the same in Melbourne a year earlier — he looked at least as good if not better at Ballarat.

“And he’ll improve off that [race], too,” Tubbs said. “He came to hand so quickly after a little break we decided to [race] him at Ballarat, but knowing he was a bit short of his top.”

Just Believe sat parked throughout and still won easily in a 1:57 mile rate for 2200m.

The other big talking point of the race was the slashing run for second by French-bred European import Callmethebreeze at his first Aussie race for trainer Anton Golino and the huge Yabby Dams operation, run by Pat Driscoll.

To close well late for second to Just Believe and in a race boasting such depth was a fantastic sign and one which surprised the much-travelled Golino a little.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect and looked at it as a really learning race,” he said. “He went great.”

Callmethebreeze is a Group 1 winner in Italy and banked almost $1.7mil before being bought by Driscoll.

He looms as one of, if not the, major rival to Just Believe in the Great Southern Star.

Back to Just Believe and the burning question still lingers about whether he will return for another crack at Elitloppet.

The other option is to stay closer to home and target the new $650,000 TAB Trot slot race at Cambridge in New Zealand on April 12.

That would take the May 26 Elitloppet off the table.

Here’s driver Greg Sugars’ comments after the Ballarat last Saturday night: “We’ve had invitations from New Zealand to get him over there. Nothing’s been signed, sealed or delivered as of yet. We haven’t actually had any official invitations from Sweden yet to see whether they want us back there.

“At this stage you’d probably have to say it’s more likely New Zealand is on the cards, but anything can happen over the next month or two. Sweden has started reaching out since his win [last] Saturday night.”

Stay tuned.

Now to Leap To Fame, who took his record to 30 wins (and six seconds) from just 40 starts when he cruised to a first-up victory at Albion Park last Saturday night.

Like Just Believe, it was his first race since winning the Inter Dominion pacing final at Albion Park on Dec. 16.

Trainer/driver Grant Dixon was keen to sharpen Leap To Fame right up for the Hunter Cup, so the 5-year-old will race again at Albion Park on Saturday night.

There’s a bit of unfinished business for Dixon and owner Kevin Seymour after Leap To Fame was a beaten favorite at his last trip to Melton in the Group 1 Victoria Cup last October.

“He’s better now,” Dixon said. “More experienced and just tighter than I had him then with all the racing he’s had. The way the race was run in the Victoria Cup didn’t suit him, but we’re keen to give it another go there [in Melton] and the longer [2760 meters] will suit him even better, too.”

Leap To Fame could have another “date night” with Just Believe not long after the Hunter Cup.

If Just Believe goes to the TAB Trot at Cambridge, Leap To Fame will almost certainly be there too for the $1 million race by Grins.

Before that, Leap To Fame will chase the $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle on March 10.

“That’s the only really big race I haven’t won and I really want to,” Seymour said.

Dixon said the $100,000 Newcastle Mile on Feb. 23 — where the winner gets a ticket into the Miracle Mile — would likely be Leap To Fame’s next race after the Hunter Cup.

“I like the idea of a gap between [races] rather than having to try and qualify in one of the [two]) sprints at Menangle just a week before the [Miracle] Mile,” he said. “You’d have to go 1:48 or so to qualify and then even quicker the next week in the big one itself.”