by Jerry Connors

Smoken Up worked his way to the lead by the midpoint of the $800,000 Skycity-Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final on Friday night (18 hours ahead of the East Coast) at the right-handed Alexandra Park in Auckland, NZ, then held off a group of determined challengers to annex Australasia’s greatest pacing prize for noted trainer/driver Lance Justice.

The 2,700 meter event, just short of 1-3/4 miles, started in early backstretch on Alexandra’s 1000m track, which has shorter stretches and broader turns than North American tracks, and passed the stands three times.

A field of 13 went postward, seven in the front tier and six in the second tier. Despite drawing the equivalent of post 14 on an eight-wide five-eighths-miler, Themightyquinn, who had impressed in the InterDom trials, was made a slight favorite over Smoken Up (post 10, 3.20-1); in turn were evergreen warrior Blacks A Fake (post two, 3.70-1), and Little Brown Jug winner Mr Feelgood (post 11, 5.30-1).

Driver Natalie Rasmussen took advantage of the early speed and good post of Blacks A Fake and went straight out for the lead, repulsing several early challengers. Justice had maneuvered Smoken Up to an outer-tier spot early and stayed there until heading for the third turn, about halfway through the race, where he brushed to the top.

Mr Feelgood had a nightmare trip outside throughout but showed his braveness over the last circuit, with Themightyquinn following that cover, then tipping wide just before the straight for home to loom boldly.

But Smoken Up had enough to throw a :55 3/10 final half and a :27 9/10 last quarter in the marathon to hold off the spirited bid of Themightyquinn by three-quarters of a length. Oldster Blacks A Fake, who had the pocket journey after Smoken Up made the lead, held gamely with the leaders until the shadow of the wire, finishing two lengths behind Smoken Up and a neck ahead of Smiling Shard, who in turn was less than a half-length ahead of a very game Mr Feelgood.