Grand Circuit Champion; Smoken Up was a runaway winner of the 2011/12 season. Photo by Arclight Photography
Triple millionaire Smoken Up will be crowned the 2011/12 Grand Circuit champion.
The Victorian pacer was a runaway winner after winning the Gr.1 $NZ150,000 NZ FFA, the Gr.1 $500,000 Miracle Mile, the Gr.1 $425,000 Victoria Cup and the Gr.1 $100,000 SA Cup.
Smoken Up was also the runner-up in the Gr.1 $200,000 Queensland Pacing Championship and the Gr.1 $NZ600,000 NZ Cup while finishing third in the Gr.1 $125,000 Ballarat Pacing Cup.
His only unplaced effort on the Grand Circuit stage was his last placed finish in the Gr.1 $1 million Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Final when he galloped at the start losing all chance.
The Lance Justice trained star ended the season with 25 points, 9 clear of his nearest rival Im Themightyquinn while former North American Mr Feelgood and Terror To Love were equal third with 7 points.
Im Themightyquinn swept all Grand Circuit features staged in his home state claiming the Gr.1 $400,000 WA Cup, the Gr.1 $250,000 Fremantle Cup plus the Gr.1 $1 million Inter Dominion Pacing Grand Final.
The Gary Hall trained star was also placed third in the Gr.1 $500,000 Miracle Mile.
Other Grand Circuit winners this season were Mr Feelgood (QPC), Terror To Love (NZ Cup), Washakie (Treuer Memorial), Highview Tommy (Ballarat Cup), Choise Achiever (Hunter Cup) and Sir Lincoln (Auckland Cup).
The 2011/12 result is a reverse from last season when Im Themightyquinn pipped Smoken Up by a solitary point while Mr Feelgood was again third.
The top five on the Grand Circuit this season were;
Smoken Up - 25 points
Im Themightyquinn – 16 points
Mr Feelgood & Terror To Love – 7 points
Highview Tommy – 6 points
Washakie, Choise Achiever & Sir Lincoln – 5 points
Congratulations to the connections of Smoken Up, trainer/driver Lance Justice plus Greg Sugars, Chris Alford and John Justice who also handled the gelding during the Grand Circuit season.
