Larajay acquisition chasing back-to-back country cups at Kilmore

It’s not often an Inter Dominion Grand Final placegetter lands on your doorstep.

But that’s what happened to the Jess Tubbs and Greg Sugars stable when Just Believe stepped off the float at their Myrniong property two months ago.

The husband-and-wife team was the beneficiaries of Michael Hughes’ retirement from the sport, acquiring Just Believe along with four-year-old mare Visionary, who scored a first-up win at Warragul a fortnight ago.

Sugars acknowledged Hughes was instrumental in the two trotters joining the muster at Myrniong.

“Mick recommended to the owners that they send the horses to us,” Sugars said.

Just Believe served notice of a pending win when he was runner-up behind the highly-talented Ollivici at Melton on debut for his new stable.

“I thought we would give Ollivici a run for his money, but he lobbed in a good spot and ran us down in fast time. There aren’t many trotters going as well as Ollivici is at the moment,” he said.

Just Believe, a six-year-old son of Orlando Vici, duly saluted at his next start when he sprinted past the in-form All Cashed Up in the Shepparton Trotters Cup after enjoying the sit on the leader’s back.

“All Cashed Up got away with a cheap third quarter at Shepparton and I thought he would be hard to catch, but my horse showed a bit of high speed to sprint quickly down the lane,” he said.

“So, he has proven he is versatile in his two starts for us. Leading and then sprinting off a sit, so he has shown speed and stamina.”

Bookmakers have enlisted Just Believe (10m) as the $2.80 favorite in Friday night’s Group 2 Kilmore Trotters Cup and Sugars believes his charge will be well suited by the 3150 metre journey.

“The long trip won’t worry him as he showed during the Inter Dominion series and handicaps don’t really matter over the extra distance,” he said.

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Picture: Larajay Farm