Just Believe takes home New Zealand harness racing’s biggest gong

Champion trotter Just Believe’s greatness has gone to another level even in retirement after being crowned the New Zealand Horse of the Year.

Just Believe takes home New Zealand harness racing’s biggest gong. Photo: HRNZ.

CHAMPION trotter Just Believe’s greatness has gone to another level even in retirement after being crowned the New Zealand Horse of the Year.

The globetrotting gelding became just the second Australian horse and the first in a staggering 40 years to beat the Kiwis in their biggest harness racing award.

The other was Norm Lang-trained NSW pacer Steel Jaw, who tied with great Kiwi trotter Sir Castleton in the 1983/84 season.

Remarkably, Just Believe won the crown from just six starts in NZ, which netted five wins and a second in the Group 1 NZ Trotting Free-For-All on November 15, which was his last start before being retired due to injury.

Just Believe won three Group 1 races – Dominion Trot, Rowe Cup and National Trot – in NZ last year, but his most significant win came in the inaugural $NZ 600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge last April.

HE'S JUST A CHAMPION!
Our squaregaiting superstar Just Believe adds the inaugural TAB Trot @cambridgeracewy to his stunning list of victories by beating home fellow Victorians Callmethebreeze, Queen Elida and Arcee Phoenix in an absolute thriller! Bravo to @LarajayFarm! pic.twitter.com/1pIkH2wDeG

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) April 12, 2024

Earlier at last night’s awards ceremony, Just Believe became just the third Aussie to be crowned NZ Trotter of the Year.

He followed greats Scotch Notch (1982/83) and La Coocaracha (2001/02).

The Aussie flavour extended to unbeaten Terang three-year-old Keayang Zahara, who is the most exciting harness horse in this part of the world with 14 wins from as many starts and seven at Group 1 level.

Keayang Zahara won the NZ 3YO Trotting Filly of the Year on the strength of three NZ wins, headed by the inaugural $NZ500,000 Velocity and Group 1 NZ Trotting Derby – both against the boys.

NZ’s Owner of the Year Award also went to Australia and the Queensland-based Dean Shannon, largely through the deeds of his open-class star Merlin.

"We've said it all before of how special this horse is, and to come here and prove that in this country is no easy feat."
A thrilled @grsugars chatted with @ryanphelan_tv after Just Believe's epic TAB Trot victory @cambridgeracewy. pic.twitter.com/L8QikXIRwd

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) April 12, 2024

It was a massive year for Aussie horses in NZ when you consider the NSW-trained Swayzee successfully defended his crown in their biggest race, the iconic NZ Cup, while Victoria’s Better Eclipse won the Group 1 Auckland Cup.

Exciting, it looks set to continue with stars like Leap To Fame, Catch A Wave, The Locomotive, Keayang Chucky and Arcee Phoenix set to chase the two rich slot races – Race by Betcha and TAB Trot – at Cambridge on April 4.

Leap To Fame quickly returned to winning form after his huge Hunter Cup second when he easily won Saturday’s $100,000 Group 2 Cranbourne Cup.

"AND THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF A KNOCKOUT BLOW!"
Mark and Nathan Purdon's star Oscar Bonavena dazzles in the last lap and takes out the Group 1 Blue Hills Rise Cranbourne Trotters Cup in style for master reinsman Anthony Butt! pic.twitter.com/CZniTEZnBT

— The Trots (@TheTrotsComAu) February 8, 2025

Trainer-driver Grant Dixon is following the same path he did to win last year’s $1 million Group 1 Miracle Mile.

“It worked to put him on the plane back home (to Brisbane) after Cranbourne then float him back to Newcastle for that next race,” he said. “He loves it at home and we’ve got green grass at the moment.”

Victory in the $100,000 Group 1 Newcastle Mile on Friday week will get Leap To Fame a ticket straight into the Miracle Mile.

Kiwi star Dont Stop Dreaming, who ran second to Leap To Fame in last year’s Hunter Cup and a luckless seventh this year, returned to his best with a terrific second at Cranbourne after doing all the work outside the leader.

He’s set to join star stablemate Oscar Bonavena, who won last night’s Group 1 Bruce Skeggs Trotters’ Cup at Cranbourne, on the road to Sydney to chase more Group 1 success.

Oscar Bonavena will chase the $100,000 Hammerhead Mile on Miracle Mile night and Dont Stop Dreaming will target the Miracle Mile itself.

* Adam Hamilton is a paid contributor writing on harness racing for News Corp.

Originally published as Just Believe takes home New Zealand harness racing’s biggest gong