Horse racing: Inter Dominion Trotting Champ and newly-minted millionaire Just Believe confirmed for TAB Trot

Just Believe winning at Melton last week.

One of the most unusual races in the Southern Hemisphere takes on more Kiwi importance tonight with the news the trotter favoured to win it is coming this way.

Two-time Inter Dominion Trotting Champ and newly-minted millionaire Just Believe has been confirmed as the big ticket item for the $575,000 TAB Trot, the new trotting slot race, at Cambridge on April 12.

The trotters-only race will sit alongside the $1million Race by Grins, which became New Zealand’s first pacing slot race when it launched two years ago, quickly becoming the biggest night in New Zealand harness racing.

Having the two races on the same night will make it potentially the night of harness racing anywhere in Australasia this year and the new Trot shapes as one of the best trotting races in two decades.

Just Believe will join locals Muscle Mountain, Bolt For Brilliance (back from a minor throat operation) and Oscar Bonavena while Kiwi-owned but Australian-trained trotting mare Queen Elida will race in the TAB/Entain slot.

While Australian trotters coming to New Zealand and winning our elite races are rare, Just Believe has gone to a new level after a luckless trip to Sweden last season and is a warm favourite for the TAB Trot, which will be a 2200m mobile.

He faces a very different challenge in tonight’s Great Southern Star at Melton, which comprises two heats run for different horses as Races 2 and 3 before the finalists race in Race 8, just over two hours later.

It is based on the famous heats and final Elitlopp in Sweden. Just Believe won the Great Southern Star last season and is expected to do so again tonight in the only race of its type in Australasia.

“We are thrilled to be bringing him across for the new race but excited to get him through this weekend first,” says driver Greg Sugars.

“We had a great time there last year with Better Eclipse in the Race by Grins and then at Alexandra Park so we can’t wait to get back.”

Just Believe will race in the Tyler Street Syndicate slot, a group put together by the Cambridge club to race three young leased horses with local trainers who then branched out into buying their own slot.

“We are so excited to secure him and also have him coming to Cambridge for the TAB Trot and we actually still have shares available in our syndicate,” says Cambridge chief executive David Branch.

It wouldn’t surprise to see Just Believe’s stablemate Better Eclipse also signed to a slot for the Race by Grins soon while new Interdom Pacing champ, Leap To Fame is also expected to come to Cambridge all going well.

He dominates the market for the A$500,000 Hunter Cup tonight and if he leads he looks a good thing, with sole Kiwi hope Don’t Stop Dreaming drawn the second line.

WEATHER WATCH FOR THE NAKI

If you betting at Taranaki’s biggest meeting of the year today best you check the track conditions first.

The New Plymouth meeting contains three black type races but rain was predicted for yesterday and overnight even heading into this morning.

If that rain comes some of the key contenders in the black type races could be allowed to bypass them, especially as most are summer horses who would prefer a good track and there are so many other options at this time of the season.

Today’s other domestic gallops meeting is at Wingatui (Dunedin) where they also have their black type races headlined by the $120,000 White Robe Lodge Stakes.