Smoken Up faces an uphill battle to win his second straight Victoria Cup crown Saturday at Melton
A war of words has erupted this week leading in to the Group 1 SEW-Eurodrive Victoria Cup and the protagonist has been Lance Justice.
As always he has been on the front foot, declaring there never have been and never will be any excuses for his mighty champion Smoken Up if he fails Saturday night.
It has been an intense build-up to one of harness racing’s premier events and with pacers travelling from far and wide for the event there is certain to be a showdown of epic proportions.
Im Themightyquinn has opened well into the red at $1.70 with TAB.com.au while Smoken Up has been tightened from $21 into $18.
The market support may well have come off the back of an interview with Lance Justice following the barrier draw. He spoke to Shane Anderson on RSN’s Winners program earlier in the week.
“I don’t care what anybody says, I don’t care what the experts say, he’s just about back to his best, he’s probably one week short but he’ll be very, very close to his best,” Justice said.
“He’ll be up there, he’ll attack and put some pressure on them, he won’t stop. I’m over people writing him off.”
That test that Justice is willing to apply to the race-favourite is likely to sort out the men from the boys. It could easily turn into a two horse war with Smoken Up seemingly at his best when under pressure.
“It’s just funny that they pick songs for horses… I’m thinking titanium… I could pick one for Im Themightyquinn: The Great Pretender,” Justice said on Winners.
The barb was not lost on Gary Hall Snr who responded promptly in an HRV article on Wednesday.
“I’ve never had anything derogatory to say about his horse, so I’m not sure why he says what he says,” Hall Snr said.
The fireworks will be on show when the gates fold back and Im Themightyquinn is cut loose off the arm. He won’t get it his own way though, Mah Sish and Terrorway have both drawn beneath him will have enough speed to make him work for the front and if Bitobliss comes out humming Justice believes his steed will be right there early.
“I can just see Bitobliss trying to get out of the gate I suppose and I’ll follow it out and get us through and I’ll be up outside and we’ll turn it into an absolute stayers test,” he told RSN.
“I had an omen he was going to draw 12, I told him after the race last week to get used to this barrier because we will be going around in it again next week.”
The gelded son of Tinted Cloud was set a task of winning a lowly $7,000 C7+ pace on his way to one of the state’s best races but Justice believed it was the best race to have him prepared for the weekend.
After not handling Cranbourne on multiple occasions he decided to pull the pin on a Decron Pacing Cup sojourn and rather keep his pacer at home and in winning form.
The decision was somewhat controversial however the real proof will come Saturday night when Smoken Up is again pitted against the best our nation has to offer.
There was one last jibe from Smoken Up’s master-trainer heading into the Group 1 contest.
“There’s going to be no excuses from the horses that have drawn well, hopefully they’re not sick this year or they’re not off colour,” Justice said.
“They’ve got the greatest excuse book under the sun some of them but if we’re not good enough we’re not good enough, that’s the way it is.”
