Lance Justice declared war on his fellow countrymen  in his quest for a piece of the $800,000 prize on offer.

People aren’t shrugging off his statements either with Justice all but assured of taking the early lead in the final with his intimidating mount Smoken Up.

Themightyquinn is the quickest horse in the race but the West Australian doesn’t ahve the barrier or the early speed to take up the running early.

Early speed is something Smoken Up isn’t short on and with  Justice driving it will be aggressive form the word go.

Justice didn’t stop with his verbal crusade either, instead changing his attack to Blacks A Fake which will be the other horse at the eha dof the field.

“I think I can sit outside Blacks A Fake and beat him, in fact I am sure of it,” Justice said.

“I sat outside him in the Miracle Mile and beat him and my horse is going three lengths better now, while I think Natalie’s horse isn’t quite as sharp.

“Don’t get me wrong, we all know Blackie is a champ and if I have to get beat I won’t mind it being by him but I just can’t see it happening.

“I’m not really worried about him at all.”

Despite the bravado, Justice does have the runs on the board with his times this series certainly proving his point.

Blacks A Fake is proven on the big stage though so Smoken Up will need to show a confidence similar to his driver on race night.

He’s even less forgiving for former grand final winner Mr Feelgood, barely acknowledging him as a starter.

“He has never run past me and I don’t think he can do it this week. So I am not worried about him much either.

“If I can sit outside Blacks A Fake and control the speed the question is how close can Themightyquinn get before we have to get going?

“That’s the race as I see it but quite simply my horse has never been better or handled a track better so we are the horse to beat, I’ve got no doubt about that.”

The star of the show at the moment is Victorian Smoken Up which is ready for a clean sweep of the heats in Auckland after finding even more luck in the gate draw.

Trainer-driver Lance Justice was ecstatic after his charger drew spot one for his next Alexandra Park qualifying heat.

“Everything has fallen into the place so far on the trip,” Justice said.

“He handled the travel well, seems to love racing in the opposite direction over here and we’ve drawn well in both heats.

“I couldn’t believe how easily he won and how fantastic he felt last week. There’s no reason he won’t be better again this week.

“We all know the speed he’s got, so I’ll be leading and there’s no reason he shouldn’t win again.”

His major challengers in the race will all start alongside him on the front row with Smiling Shard in two, Power Of Tara in three, Washakie in four and Blacks A Fake in five.

Natalie Rasmussen was satisfied with Blacks A Fake’s draw and said this race will be entirely different to what we saw last week.

“He needed the run last week so I drove him soft, but this week he’s ready to do it tough,” she said.

“He’s a different horse from this time last week.”

In the first of Friday’s pacing heats Mr Feelgood has every chance to win the race after grabbing position one.

His main rival Im Themightyquinn will have it all to do from spot ten.

Another Victorian, Villagem will start from gate two in that race and should qualify after running third to Smoken Up last week.

One of New Zealand’s top hopes Monkey King grabbed position nine setting himself up for the sprint lane on the home turn.

In the trotting heats Sundons Gift is another Australian which can lay claim to having the prime starting spot while stablemate Let Me Thru will need to force his way into the race from a wide gate.

Alexandra Park hasn’t been a happy place for Australian horses in the past but the top four horses in the pacing series markets with online bookmaker Luxbet are all from Australia.

It’s a similar story for the trotters with the Aussie contingent big favourites at the top with two horses.

Annoying the Kiwi’s even more is the fact three of the top six Aussie runners were in fact bred across the ditch in New Zealand.

Themightyquinn, Smoken Up and Sundon’s Gift all left New Zealand’s shores as decent runners but have been transformed into million dollar earners.

Some section of the New Zealand media argue there are some horses such as Christian Cullen and Elsu which could hold off the Aussie invasion but it’s a mute point given they are not there.

Auckland Reactor was shaping as their great hope but he may not even compete after his latest in a long series of issues.

In reality though New Zealand has a heap of horses and a heap of talented ones at that, but the Aussie contingent this year is just bigger, stronger, faster and a hell of a lot tougher.

That’s obvious to see with New Zealand still doing well in age-group races but the harder the racing gets the Aussies seem to be showing a hell of a lot more determination.

Few are more qualified to talk about it than champion New Zealand trainer Barry Purdon who has had plenty of success in Australia.

He says it’s the style of Aussie racing which is producing horses capable of sticking with it at Interdominion class.

“I think the way they race them over there makes them tougher.

“Sure, it goes in cycles but in Australia they are not scared to jump on a plane and head to Perth or put them on a float for 10 hours to go somewhere.

“And when they do race they are not scared to sit parked, like Mr Feelgood in the Auckland Cup.

“I think, eventually, that wears off on the horses and they get used to the hard work and the best ones seem to thrive on it.”

He says the extended seasons for two and three year olds in New zealand is also having a detrimental effect.

“We start earlier than they do in Australia but race too far into the season. I am a great believer in giving horses a decent spell but it is getting harder and harder to do that.

“I love the fact we have the Harness Jewels but it is too late in the season and then you even have some horses go to the Breeders Crown in Australia.

“So many of them burn out. We used to have an entourage of open-class horses, now we struggle to fill the best races. It is manageable but to do that you have to be brave and let your horse miss some big races.”

Purdon himself does have a runner in the Interdominion pacing series, Pembrook Benny which drew barrier one for tonight so is a good chance to work his way into the final on April 8th.

“I was thrilled with his run in the Auckland Cup because he worked early and was a clear third,” Purdon said.

 ”And I’d love to think he could win this series. But if he ended up parked in the final outside a horse like Mr Feelgood or Smoken Up I think I’d close my eyes and pretend it wasn’t happening.”

Nothing is certain in harness racing though and with the final still a good two weeks away Aussies shouldn’t be counting their win just yet.

One thing’s for sure though, it’s going to take a monster effort from any New Zealand horse to develop the courage and intestinal fortitude to match it with any of our best harness racers.

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From gate seven in the unanimously agreed toughest heat he’ll need to work hard if it’s going to notch up a record six appearances in Interdominion grand finals.

His trainer and driver Natalie Rasmussen said her pacer had had an ideal lead up after arriving in Auckland last Thursday.

“I would’ve loved a better draw, but he seems really well and I’m sure he’ll improve a lot on whatever he does this week,” she said.

His major rival in the race is expected to be Auckland Cup and WA Cup winner Themightyquinn.

The top Victorian horse Smoken Up had far more luck and could make the first move of the series.

The Lance Justice trained runner will tsrat form gate six but with questions rising about Auckland Reactor he’s a good chance to take up the lead.

“He handled the trip across really well and the draw is another big plus,” Justice said.

 ”It’s all falling into place, at least at this stage.”

Auckland Reactor is said to only be a 50 percent chance to start the race with a final decision expected from Mark Purdon any minute.

Smoken Up had his chances lifted even further when Mr Feelgood and Villagem drew gates 10 and 11 on the back row.

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The Group 1 Victoria Derby is worth $200,000 and is Australia’s oldest classic harness race.

Run from a mobile start the 2011 Victoria Derby covers a distance of 2,240 metres.

Currently, Ian Dornauf’s Royal Verdict is favourite with $3.50 a win with Luxbet.

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Tragedy has struck one of the early favourites for the 2011 Victoria Derby, with The Muskeg Express died early Wednesday morning.

The horses death has deeply impacted his trainer Luke McCarthy.

“It’s devastating because he was such a lovely horse with such a bright future,” Mr McCarthy said.

For a more detailed preview of the 2011 Victoria Derby, as well as barrier draws and form, go to our Victoria Derby preview.

The big event has drawn a decent field of top pacing contenders, though there are three frontrunners that should make this race very interesting. Jay Cee has yet to make a start in this new season of pacing, though the Gary Hall-driven gelding is expected to make an impressive debut. With nine first place finishes and three minors in 16 starts, last season’s record is a good indicator of what he is capable of. He was somewhat unlucky in the barrier draw at number ten with a 10m handicap, but he should have enough talent and speed to overcome.

The Ron Huston-trained gelding will face some stiff competition from both Scruncher and Jumbo Operator. The latter stable mate of Jay Cee has yet to appear in any pacing events this season, but if last season is any indication of what’s in store, punters should jump behind this horse. Jumbo Operator had a very impressive eight first place finishes in eight starts. He is known for his good gate speed, but is also capable of staying calm under pressure while battling it out for wins. He will be starting from barrier number eight with a 10m handicap.

Scruncher kicked off this new harness racing season in impressive fashion with two first place finishes in two starts. That includes an impressive finish at Kalgoorlie in the MS Pace on September 13. This pacing contender has a distinct advantage over the other two horses in that he was much luckier in the barrier draw. He will be starting from barrier number three.

The XXXX Gold 2010 Pacing Cup will be race number six on the card on Thursday night. Be sure to get to SportsBet to check out all of the available odds on this race.

Field & Barrier Draw:

Plenty of harness racing fans (and punters) will be eagerly awaiting the race as it will be another appearance by the all-dominating Has The Answers. Not only that, but driver Chris Lewis is seeking his fifth Media Guild Cup title. The master reinsman drove Village Kid to Media Guild Cup victory in 1987 and 1991. He followed it up with a win with Paly (2002) and No Blue Manna (2007). A fifth title is likely in the cards for this experienced driver as there doesn’t seem to be another pacer out there that can keep up with the blistering speed of Has The Answers.

The brown gelding will be going into this race as the odds on favourite to win, and it’s no wonder as he has developed a reputation for being quick out of the gate as well as a strong stayer that normally controls the pace. Has The Answers has one win in one start this season as he came in first place in the New Seasons Pace just a week ago. He finished a full 5m over second place Motu Treasure. Punters interested in taking a stab at this year’s Media Guild Cup would be crazy not to back this horse for the win. He will be starting from barrier number six.

Stable mate Mysta Magical Mach is once again being touted as the only horse that could possible keep up with Has The Answers. The Tony Svilicich-trained horse also has a knack for starting strong and developing strong speed through the race. In fact, the bay gelding placed third in the New Seasons Pace and second (behind Has The Answers) in last season’s Spring Stakes. The Media Guild Cup should see another top effort from the pacing contender.

Other horses that are expected to do well include Gary Bromac (barrier two), Sheer Royalty (barrier eight), and Albert Jaccka (barrier five).

The Media Guild Cup will be race number seven on the night’s card, starting at 8:50pm. Be sure to get to SportsBet to check out all the available odds on this and all of the pacing events going on at Gloucester Park this Friday night.

2010 Media Guild Cup Field & Barrier Draw:

Naturally this highlight race has drawn quite a field of headliners as several rivals take to the track for a chance at the title. This includes the current Horse of the Year Melpark Major. The Victoria Cup winner is sitting on the outside of the front row in barrier seven with Our Malabar just ahead in barrier number six. Both are top contenders for the title, though the big story of the night is surrounding Tanabi Bromac.

The Keith Cotchin-trained gelding made his first appearance since last April on September 3rd in the PLM Global Management Pace. While an unusual choice to start Tanabi Bromac’s rise to the top, the horse did take a first place finish. Plenty of experts are expecting the son of Live Or Die to become a Grand Circuit harness racing champion, and this pacing event should be a good indicator of future performances. Not only is it a major jump in class from Tanabi Bromac’s humble start to the pacing season, but he will also be stacked up against some very strong competition.

Other promising pacers to look out for in this pacing event are Just Callme Cullen and Johnorama in barriers one and two. Bold Cruiser and Cincinnati Kid could be potential frontrunners, though their outside second row positions will be tough to overcome.

The FFA pace will be number seven on the card, starting at 9:42. Be sure to get to SportsBet for all of the best odds on this upcoming pacing event before the bell rings this Friday, September 10.

Dallas Building Blacks A Fake Free For All Field & Barrier Draw:

As the field was whittled down through three qualifying heats, the best of the new on-the-market horses will be facing off in this final event. With a field packed with top contenders, this pacing event is definitely worth checking out. There are plenty of frontrunners going into this, but, if past performances are any indication, the three horses to watch are Palomine, Miami Rocket, and Dark Duncan. The three horses won their respective qualifying heats leading up to this race, which gives them a distinct advantage. Miami Rocket is sitting in the best position in barrier number six.

While plenty of punters will be looking to these three horses for a win, there is plenty of other talent in this field that is worth checking out. Brulea Charlie, who took a third place finish in his qualifying heat, had one of the better winning records last season in Australia. The gelding’s second row position will be a tough hurdle to cross, but he started much the same last week and still managed a third place finish.

Hitemup in the pole position and Just Stay N Alive in barrier two are also worth considering as both had plenty of experience last season and posted some competitive best winning mile rates.

The Decron Horse Care Battle of the Claimers Final will be race number two on the Tabcorp Park’s card this Friday, September 10. Be sure to get to SportsBet to check out the odds on this upcoming race, as you won’t find better odds anywhere else.

2010 Battle of the Claimers Final Field and Barrier Draw:

It will be race number six on the card, starting at 8:07pm. There are quite a few impressive veteran pacers that have plenty left to give. Among them are the famed Korlim Garry, Jetsons Blue Jean, Itsokaytobefake, and Gracious Legend.

Though these experienced horses know how to win races, they will face plenty of tough competition in this claimers pace. Two horses in particular have emerged as frontrunners. The first of which is the 12-year-old Nickys Falcon. While the Todd McCarthy-driven gelding may be one of the older horses, he still racked up over $75,000 in winnings last season in Australia. That included ten first place finishes and 13 placings in 40 starts. Nickys Falcon will be starting the race in fair position in barrier number six. Arapal is another tough competitor and is in prime position to take top place in this race as the 11-year-old colt is sitting pretty in gate number two. Add to that the fact that he finished the season with an impressive 11 wins, 11 placings, and over $70,000 in winnings.

Winners of this claiming pace will share in the $7,500 prize pool. Here’s a look at the rest of the field and barrier draw:

Field & Barrier Draw: