Smoken Up shattered the Australian mile record when he won the Len Smith Mile in 1.48.5 at Menangle on Saturday night.
Smoken Up took 1.8sec off the record he set in the Miracle Mile at Menangle in November. The 8yr-old gelding won by five and a-half lengths in the hands of Lance Justice, his Victorian trainer. The New Zealand-bred Smoken Up (Tinted Cloud-Carnlough) also won the group one Len Smith Mile in 2008 in 1.51.9 and 2010 in 1.50.9.
Smoken Up had won the Interdominion Pacing Final at Alexandra Park at his previous start on April 8. He returned a positive test to the anti-inflammatory drug, dimethyl sulfoxide after that win. The NZ Racing Integrity Unit is continuing inquiries into the matter.
"A great deal will hinge on the testing of the B sample. The connections of Smoken Up have decided to have it tested in Queensland. It could be seven or eight days before the result is known," Rod Carmichael, the racecourse inspector said.
• Excel Stride won the $A100,000 New South Wales Derby in a 1.54.2 mile rate for the 2300m (mobile). He is trained by Elizabeth Heath for Sydney owners Emilo and Mary Rosati. Excel Stride is a colt by Aces N Sevens from Arma Dominator, an In The Pocket-Arma Class mare who was sold to Australia in 2003 as a 4yr-old after she won a race from the Geoff Small stable.
• The NZ-bred Lanercost won the $A200,000 Chariots Of Fire in 1.52.5 for the mile. The son of Courage Under Fire and Lanoch bred by Mike Stratford, of Christchurch. Lanercost changed hands for $15,000 at the 2008 premier yearling sale in Christchurch. He was re-sold to Australia for $18,000 at the Ready To Run sale eight months later.
Rosa Mach won the $A300,000 Pacing Gold for 2yr-old fillies in 1.56.2. She is by Mach Three from Rosalind, a Fake Left mare who won 23 races. She is trained by Bill Dixon, husband of Natalie Rasmussen, who drove Rosa Mach.
