MENANGLE MILE FRIDAY, THEN NZ CUP
If anybody seriously suspected that Smoken Up’s first loss in almost seven months would subdue Lance Justice’s trademark confidence ahead of his second straight sortie across the Tasman for the $750,000 New Zealand Cup, they were sadly mistaken.
Beaten but not bowed by former Victorian Horse of the Year Melpark Major in Kilmore’s signature sprint – the Popular Alm – on October 24, Australia’s fastest pacer is heading to Menangle and the 1609-metre Brian Hancock Cup en route to a date with destiny at Addington raceway on November 9.
And last year’s leading Metropolitan trainer is bullish at the prospect of setting the Sydney track ablaze this Friday night, both as a warning to our Kiwi cousins and a ferocious final hitout before tackling the toughest staying test in the Southern Hemisphere.
“I wasn’t disappointed with him at Kilmore, I knew he was short of a run and he was beaten by a bloody good horse,” Justice said.
“He’ll have a real solid hitout this Friday night; it’ll be gloves off and I’ll be running about a 1:51 (mile) I would’ve thought.
“I want to give him a real good run under his belt before we go to New Zealand and I know he can run a 1:50.9 or 1:50.8, he’s done it before, so if I go around in 1:51-somehting, that’ll be nice.
“I really want to make a statement. A lot of those Kiwi drivers compete on confidence and if they see you getting beaten in you own backyard too often, they’re far keener to take you on.
“I want to show them my bloke’s OK, that he’s right back to his best and hopefully put some healthy fear into them.”
With no disrespect to his rivals at New South Wales’ home of harness racing this week, which include rising stars Rockets Reject (3), Rohan Home (7), Deadsetlucky (8) and Vegas Bound (10), if Justice is ready to release the shackles on last year’s Miracle Mile runner-up, he should be far too good.
Starting from gate nine prior to scratchings, the striking son of Tinted Cloud will be looking to spear across his rivals early and dictate the $20,000 race with the same audacious, arrogant tactics that will be travelling with him across the ditch.
“This race at Menangle will be a great way to round off his preparation for the trip,” the outspoken horseman said. “We’ll let him run and then get on a plane a couple of days later for a (New Zealand) Cup that looks a touch easier this year, with no other Aussies in the race.
“They made it tough for me last time. Australian drivers tend to drive much more aggressively, so in an all-Kiwi field I know that I can launch on him, that I can set him alight and get where I want to be up near the lead.
“From there – over the two miles – I know and they know that he’s not going to stop.
“I get excited just thinking about it. I’m keen to get there, put it that way – very keen.”
Courtesy of Jason Bonnington, HRV Media & Communications Officer.