STAND in driver John Justice has threatened to declare war on any driver that dares to hamper Smoken Up’s charge for the early lead in tonight’s Inter Dominion final at Gloucester Park in Perth.

Justice is unbeaten in four drives on Smoken Up including the three qualifying heats of the Inter Dominion where the horse has worked to the lead and outstayed his rivals.

He has taken the reins while his brother Lance, who also trains the horse, is out of the sulky with serious injuries received in a fall at Melton earlier this year.

Speaking at Melton yesterday before leaving for Perth, Justice said: “I haven’t spoken to Lance yet, but I’d imagine it will be the usual tactics.”

Everybody, especially tonight’s opposing drivers, knows what those tactics are.

Go hard early and if they fight to hold the lead just keep on pressing.

Smoken Up is a warrior and he can apply those tactics and still win but God help anyone who tries to hold him off.

If anybody is likely to offer an early challenge it may come from John McCarthy who steers the polemarker Mr Feelgood and there would be no other horse that the Justice camp would like to drive into the ground.

The American import won last year’s Inter Dominion after Smoken Up was disqualified for returning a positive swab.

Mr Feelgood returned to his best  in his heat last week and he has shortened to third favourite at $5.50 on Sportingbet fixed odds market.

A major concern for Smoken Up is his ability to handle the tight, flat turns at Gloucester Park.

A similar flat turn cost his defeat in the recent Ballarat Cup and although he is unbeaten there the turns at Gloucester Park are not his favourite.

Justice said: “I’d like it if the track was bigger but you have to work with what you have got.”

If Mr Feelgood hands up the early lead there is a strong chance that with the pressure of an Inter Dominion final that Smoken Up may drift off the track on the home turn and present the race to him.

The one the punters want is local star Im Themightyquinn who is now odds-on at $1.95.

He is likely to drop back early and he would be the one to benefit most from a battle for the lead.

Top New Zealad hope Auckland Reactor ($7.00) is also unbeaten in his three heats and he too will more than likely drop back early and the whoever wins the battle of tactics between his driver Anthony Butt and Gary Hall jr on Im Themightyquinn will play a major role in the result.

Im Themightyquinn has consistently been the fastest in the run home three all three heats but he has got away with some easy early sectionals.

There will be no easy sectionals in tonight’s final.

Here is how the four main chances have performed in their heats:

The final field with Sportingbet markets is:

INTER DOMINION FINAL - 9.10pm Perth time. Gloucester Park. Race 7.

THE second round of heats for the 2012 Inter Dominion has done little to sort out the three way logjam in the search for this year’s final winner.

Superstar pacer Smokin Up, local champ Im Themightyquinn and New Zealand star Auckland Reactor remain unbeaten after winning their heats and that trio look to have the race between them.

Edging slightly back into the mix was another Kiwi with Raglan benefiting from a more tactful drive from Anthony Butt when he led to win the first of four heats on Monday night.

Raglan looked in danger of missing a spot in the final when he finished down the track last Friday after Butt allowed himself to get pocketed in going down the back straight and from there he never got a shot at them.

But in a heat where Raglan ($1.80 fav.) ran back into contention another star was virtually eliminated when Washakie ($2.80) faded badly and finished a disappointing last.

Auckland Reactor ($1.60 fav.) was untroubled to lead throughout in his heat but like last Friday’s win he was more solid than impressive.

He went to the line 2.1 metres ahead of Mr Feelgood ($5.00) who did plenty of work in the run.

Smoken Up ($1.10 fav.) was his usual self in the third heat.

He worked to the front early but looked in trouble when he was headed by Crombie ($12.60) at the top of the straight but in his standard style he lifted when challenged and kicked back to win by 1.67 metres.

The pride of Perth Im Themightyquinn ($1.10 fav.) maintained his awesome record on the tight Gloucester Park circuit with an easy win in the final heat but not before giving his supporters a scare.

As Anthony Butt did with Raglan last Friday, Gary Hall jr. allowed Im Themightyquinn to be pocketed going into the back straight but he bustled his way clear and soon reeled in the leaders.

The third and final round of heats will be decided this Friday with the final a week later on March 2.

THE 2012 Inter Dominion pacing championships got underway at Gloucester Park in Perth on Friday night with the farcical situation that we might know this year’s winner before we can be sure of last year’s winner.

Amazingly we still don’t have a final result for the 2011 series which was “won” by Smoken Up in New Zealand last April.

That “win” was eradicated when Smoken Up returned a positive swab to a substance named as dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) which shocked the horses trainer driver Lance Justice.

At the time Justice declared he knew of the substance but had never used it.

However a hearing last August found Justice guilty and apart from having the horse disqualified which resulted in the loss of $400,00 in stakemoney, the trainer/driver was fined $3500 and ordered to pay costs of more than $32,000.

Justice appealed the decision and that hearing was held earlier this month with a decision expected before the 2012 series began but nothing has yet been decided.

While the decision makers in New Zealand are still dilly-dallying with the 2011 result, Smoken Up showed that he will again play a leading role in the 2012 event with his usual win at all costs style  in the third heat at Gloucester Park.

Made to work by Saucy Legend ($4.70) to find the early lead in the 1720 metre event Smoken Up ($1.30 fav.) looked set to be challenged by Dasher Vic ($13.50) at the top of the straight but the champ always had him covered and went to the line 1.6 metres in front.

Dasher Vic    held on for second 3.1 metres ahead of Saucy Legend with Hesa Buzzin ($50.20) running on late for fourth.

Earlier in the night the Kiwis quinellaed the first heat with Auckland Reactor ($2.10) edging past Washakie ($1.70 fav.) in the closing stages to win the first heat by 2 metres.

Auckland Reactor had enjoyed the run of the race while Washakie led but was assassinated by Sneakyn Down Under ($59.80) who pressured him all the way.

Stewards later queried the driver of Sneakyn Down Under on his driving tactics.

The second heat provided the upset for the night when Crombie ($26.50) came from three wide for the last lap to beat Can Return Fire ($49.50) by a head with early leader Rocket Reign ($5.50) a half neck away third.

Among the unplaced runners were Mr Feelgood ($2.80) who worked early and led the outside division before battling on fairly for fourth while the shock of the race was Raglan ($2.30 fav.) finishing an unlucky sixth.

Raglan had enjoyed the run of the race one out, one back but his driver Anthony Butt let himself become boxed in going down the back straight and from there he never got a clear shot at them.

He now faces a tough task to make the final.

The final heat was as expected won by the local champ Im Themightyquinn ($1.30 fav.).

He also sat one out, one back but when the pace stepped up his driver Gary Hall Jr was taking no chances and he pulled out and raced away to win by 5.4 metres from Has The Answers ($4.70) with Son Of Fergie ($40.30) 2.7 metres back in third place.

The runners back up for the second round of the series at Gloucester Park on Monday night by which stage the final field will be close to being decided.

At the same time let’s hope the officials in  New Zealand can also step up and give us a final result for 2011.

IT was a night for the veterans at Cranbourne tonight with the old-timers outstaying their more highly fancied younger rivals for two Group 1 upsets.

Defying his age American bred 9yo pacer Mr Feelgood worked to the front mid-race and showed great courage to hold off Im Themightyquinn in adding the Group 1 Cranbourne Cup to his long list of feature wins.

It wasn’t a shock win as Mr Feelgood was in the betting at $5.50 but punters had put their faith and a lot of their money in Im Themightyquinn ($1.40 fav.) who was expected to follow up on his 2010 Cranbourne Cup win.

But after doing a little bit of early work he had every chance to run down the leader but died on his run with 100 metres to run.

Pacific Playgirl ($27.20) was game in running third only 3.9 metres behind the winner.

Im Themightyquinn will get his chance for revenge on Mr Feelgood next Saturday night in the Group 1 Victoria Cup at Tabcorp Park in Melton but they both have a rather smart one called Smoken Up to overcome there.

Although he just missed out with Im Themightyquinn in the Cranbourne Cup young driver Nathan Jack did get a taste of Group 1 glory a race earlier in the Bill Collins Mile aboard veteran trotter Will Trapper.

Well back at the top of the straight the 10yo Will Trapper ($48.00) flashed down the outside to edge out I Didn’t Do It ($2.80 fav.) in the final couple of strides.

Aleppo Sunrise ($17.90) battled on well for the minor placing.

It was also a second Cranbourne feature win for Will Trapper who won Group 2 Trotters Cup there in 2009.

His task this time was made a lot easier when race favourite Down Under Muscles galloped early and put himself out of the race.

YOUNG Victorian driver Nathan Jack will be looking take advantage of Gary Hall Jr’s misfortune by steering Im Themightyquinn to victory in the Popular Alm Free-For-All at Tabcorp Park in Melton tonight.

Jack takes hold of the reins for the WA star pacer for the second time while Hall sits out a two week suspension received for his drive in last week’s Miracle Mile.

NSW stewards suspended Hall’s driver licence for a period of 14 days under Rule 163(1)(a) for shifting down the track whilst challenging Smoken Up for the lead which resulted in Smoken Up being inconvenienced, contacting marker pegs and losing some ground.

It is history now that the champ was able to overcome what was minimal interference but not that far from seriously ruining Australia’s biggest harness event.

Some thought that Hall should have copped more but in the end it was his of guilty and his good driving record driving record that stopped the penalty being longer.

This will be Jack’s second drive on Im Themightyquinn after pairing with him for a sound effort at his only previous Melton start when third in the Victoria Cup last February.

Coming off 10 metres in that race Im Themightyquinn was three wide and three back at the bell but received a check before running on strongly in the closing stages to finish just 3.2 metres behind NZ star Stuning Cullen.

Im Themightyquinn is an odds-on favourite to atone for that defeat in tonight’s race which would see him automatically qualify for this year’s Victoria Cup which is scheduled for December 17.

If he shows the early dash he did in last week’s Miracle Mile he should have no trouble finding the lead although there are some pacy ones on his inside.

Melpark Major has been battling away well in feature races with five placings from his last five starts and from the pole draw he as the pace to make it a battle for the lead but more than likely his driver Amy Tubbs will settle for the trail behind Im Themightyquinn and see if she can sneak up and challenge along the sprint lane at the end.

After winning his only four starts this season highly promising pacer Bitobliss faces his toughest task to date but from his front row draw he must also be considered.

IT will be a clash of the titans when star pacer Smoken Up faces Perth hotshot Im Themightyquinn in the $500,000 Miracle Mile at Menangle next Saturday.

Smoken Up has drawn perfectly for his bid to defend his title which he took out last year with a sensational front running display.

If he holds the inside he will take a power of beating which almost ensures the Gary Hall Jr will have a crack for the early lead.

Smoken Up is coming off two surprise seconds in the Queensland Pacing Championship and the New Zealand Cup before he showed he was right back to his best with a brilliant win in the New Zealand Free-For-All.

Im Themightyquinn is unbeaten in three starts since resuming from a spell and he has looked sensational in three brilliant wins.

That pair are the hot equal favourites to capture the race but if they stage an all out war for the lead it could well leave the open to a late charge from any of the other top class contenders.

Below is the field for this year’s race and the history of past winners:

Race 8 MIRACLE MILE  1609m. 9.40pm
Group 1. $500,000 Saturday, November 26

MIRACLE MILE (Was 1609m MS. Now 1760m. Menangle, December)
(*Held twice in 1996. Before 2009 was Harold Park)