Unless he is at Menangle.
He loves the huge track west of Sydney where he transforms into an equine freight train unencumbered by the restrictions of the bends on smaller tracks.
That was never more evident than when he blasted to the lead from barrier nine in Saturday's group one and blew his rivals - eight of whom were group one winners - off the track with a 1:49.9 mile.
That not only earned him his Miracle Mile invite but had Justice suggesting he could go a second faster this week.
"I actually got an easy second quarter (400m) and could have gone a second quicker," said the Victorian horseman.
"I am sure he can go 1:49 this week and maybe even threaten his own track record."
That is the 1:48.5 Smoken Up paced in the Len Smith Mile two years ago, form that had seemed a distant memory since he returned from a ligament injury suffered last January.
"He has been struggling with second-line draws, which makes it hard for him on the smaller tracks in Victoria.
"But he loves it here at Menangle, you can feel it the second he steps on the track.
"That is why I never gave up hope."
So Smoken Up, courtesy of the win and then drawing one for the Miracle Mile, is now favourite to become the first pacer to ever win the magical race for the third time at an age when most horses have been retired for years.
If he does it will rate alongside Blacks A Fake's four Interdominion wins and Terror To Love's three New Zealand Cups as one of the greatest achievements in Australasian harness racing history.
Last night's barrier draw was largely irrelevant to Justice as Smoken Up has such blazing gate speed for an old horse and few rival drivers would be willing to get into war with him.
But he still had a wry smile when he secured barrier one, with only the slightest chance Mach Beauty (3) could cross him at the start.
The other big winner in the draw is For A Reason, already a 1:49.4 miler, who from barrier two gets the chance to slot straight on to the great horse's back and stalk him.
However, the news was not good for the Kiwi raiders, with Christen Me and Terror To Love to start from barriers five and six respectively if emergency Abettorpunt doesn't regain the field.
The field for the A$750,000 Miracle Mile next Saturday night is - Smoken Up (1) For A Reason (2), Mach Beauty (3), Abettorpunt (4), Beautide (5), Christen Me (6), Terror To Love (7), I'm Victorious (8), Bitobliss (9), Restrepo (10). Emergencies: Abettorpunt, Bitobliss.
