Who will replace Lance Justice aboard Smoken Up in the short term?
The New South Wales based syndicate that races the reigning Miracle Mile winner Smoken Up is yet to decide on a replacement reinsman after trainer/driver Lance Justice suffered severe leg injuries in a race fall at Tabcorp Park Melton last Friday. Syndicate spokesman Peter Gadsby has talked regularly with Justice since the accident and hopes to make an announcement within the week.
“I have spoken with Lance on a number of occasions and doctors are keeping him comfortable with morphine so as a result I am having trouble understanding the Swahili he is talking,” Gadsby said.
“But seriously I don’t think it is fair to him to be discussing driver replacements while he is still in hospital and in as much pain as he is so we will be sitting down to look at our options when he gets home from hospital later in the week.”
Justice will be unable to drive for a number of weeks due to the injuries he sustained and with the South Australian Cup next month and a trip to Western Australia in February for the start of the Inter Dominion series planned for Smoken Up, Gadsby acknowledges there are a number of drivers being considered.
“Apart from Lance only one other person has driven Smoken Up in a race since we bought him and that was Kerryn Manning so obviously she is a possibility, as is Chris Alford who has driven our horses in the past, Gavin Lang drove Our Malabar on Monday night at Ballarat for us and won, Greg Sugars is in great form, Jodi Quinlan has driven for Lance in the past when he has been unable to and of course Lance’s brother John is another one that is on the short list.”
“We have to sit down and work out which drivers would be available and aren’t tied to other big name horses because we would want a firm commitment for the short term future.”
Gadsby is unsure whether Our Malabar will make the trip to Perth for the Inter Dominion with Smoken Up.
“We want to look at how strong the series is going to be and what horses remain in the rankings before we make a final decision.”
