Smoken Up’s hooves will again imprint Tabcorp Park Melton’s straight Saturday night, when Lance Justice will reunite ‘Trigger’ with the site he made his own.
The 17-year-old superstar of the sport will lead a deep field out for the TAB Smoken Up Sprint, the Group 2 classic that kicks off at 9pm.
“It’s pretty big,” Justice said. “Not many horses have races named after them.”
Track goers will not only be able to enjoy Smoken Up’s on-track return but visit the winner of more than $3.6 million in stakes in stall 61 at Tabcorp Park.
Picture: Smoken Up (left) with Sokyola in his Ballan paddock.
“He loves people, loves children,” Justice said of the 12-time Group 1 winner, who had 41 of his 153 starts at Melton.
“Melton was one of his favourite tracks. He’s been there from the start,” Justice said. “After they completed the earthworks they had a press event and Smoken Up worked on the track with no top on it, just up and down lumps and hills.
“He raced there in its first meetings. He owned the joint and held the track record there when he retired.”
Smoken Up’s 1:51.1 track record – set on February 4, 2012 in the Sky Racing Free For All (pictured) – stood until February 6, 2016, when Cold Major lowered the mark to 1:50.8. It’s now in Cruz Bromac’s keeping, having won his mile on January 27, 2018 in 1:50.7.
While Smoken Up won’t be giving any records a nudge when he waltzes out on Saturday night, his long-time trainer-driver will be thrilled race goers will again be able to tip their hats to one of the greats.
“They always say about good horses, you judge them by the company they keep and Smoken Up had to race against half a dozen of the toughest horses,” he said.
“He had Im Themightyquinn, Blacks A Fake, Mister Feelgood, Mister D G, Monkey King, Terror To Love – a group of horses who were champions on there own.”
Smoken Up will then return to his retirement paddock at Ballan, which he shares with fellow Group 1 champion Sokyola.
“They didn’t used to like each other for a fair while, but now they are really good mates.”
