Racing: Smoken Up smashes hoodoo

Smoken Up (6) sees off a determined challenge from Franco Emirate in the Woodlands NZ Free-For-All yesterday. Photo / Race Images

Lance Justice says the era of the old boys isn't finished just yet.

And that has him praying for a re-match with his New Zealand Cup conqueror Terror To Love when Smoken Up defends his Miracle Mile title in Sydney in a fortnight.

And that is the race in which Justice is adamant he can smash the Australasian mile record again.

Justice and Smoken Up broke through for their first Addington success in the $160,000 Woodlands Free-For-All yesterday, breaking his opponents' hearts with his trademark relentless racing style.

That saw him blast to the lead before seeing off a determined challenge from Franco Emirate, providing him with some revenge on the latter's driver Jim Curtin, who reined Terror To Love to beat Smoken Up in the Cup three days ago.

The way Terror To Love came from so far off Smoken Up to down him on Tuesday suggested the era of the veteran pacers - Blacks A Fake, Smoken Up, Mr Feelgood and Monkey King - could be coming to an end.

But Justice says he isn't ready to concede the Grand Circuit title to the young guns just yet.

"I still think we can win the Grand Circuit title and beat the younger horses," said Justice.

"I really think you didn't see the best of this horse in the Cup on Tuesday. He was a bit jaded after the flight over and he was a lot better today, a lot more like himself.

"If he had been in this form on Tuesday I am sure we could have beaten Terror To Love.

"I am not dirty about that though, good luck to them, but I'd love to get some revenge in the Miracle Mile."

The connections of Terror To Love will find out today whether they are invited to the Mile and if they do the shoe will be on the other hoof, with their horse having to travel and adapt.

"I want to win the Mile and then I will go home and set him for the Victoria Cup," says Justice.

"If we can stack a couple of wins like that together, and I think we can, then we can take the Grand Circuit and keep the young fellas at bay for a while longer."

Yesterday's win also suggested that while Smoken Up has made a name for himself as a great stayer, he is still far more comfortable running flat out over short trips than building into his races over the longer distances like the 3200m of the Cup.

"But I don't think it was that in the Cup, I just don't think you saw the best of him, simple as that," said Justice.

Smoken Up is the Australasian mile record holder after his unbelievable 1:48.5 performance in May and no matter how good Terror To Love or any other pacer in Australia is, it will take a special animal to down Smoken Up if he repeats that in a fortnight.

Yet Justice says he can definitely go quicker in two weeks.

"I am sure he can pace 1:48 in the Miracle Mile," Justice told the Herald.

"The night he went 1:48.5 I gave him a breather down the back. We can do 1:48 and good luck to them if they can beat him."

The Miracle Mile plot thickened yesterday when the connections of Auckland Cup winner I'm Themightyquinn declared they want an invitation.

He had originally been slated to miss the race after a setback but his West Australian trainer Gary Hall now says he wants a start.

That will add extra revenge factor to the Miracle Mile for Justice, as I'm Themightyquinn is the horse who will inherit the Interdominion Pacing Final when Smoken Up is eventually disqualified from that race for his positive test to DMSO.

The winner was so powerful yesterday it was impossible to take anything away from him but Franco Emirate confirmed he is going to be a player in the best races, especially those from behind the mobile, with a brave second after being parked.

SMOKED THEM

* Smoken Up breaks his Addington hoodoo in the New Zealand Free-For-All.

* He leads throughout to down Franco Emirate.

* Smoken Up will head to the Miracle Mile and a possible clash with NZ Cup conqueror Terror To Love.

* Vulcan completes a group one double in the Dominion Handicap.