Lance Justice wins Gordon Rothacker Medal

Lance Justice has been awarded the prestigious Gordon Rothacker Medal. 

“This is so special,” an emotional Justice said. 

“Gordon was a friend of our family and one of the first horses I ever got from Victoria was a horse I leased off Gordon and it’s such an honour to be here accepting this medal,” he said. 

Justice admitted he was taken aback with the award. 

“My mother would be so proud as she was such good friends with Gordon,” he said. 

“I never dreamed of winning a Gordon Rothacker Medal that’s for sure.” 

Justice started driving track work at the age of 14, landing his first winner Skipette at Kadina in April 1981 as a 22-year-old.  

Still in his 20s, Justice set up stables at Penfield and soon established himself as one of the state’s premier horsemen. 

In March 1989 Justice became the first person to train seven winners on a metropolitan track in Australia when he achieved the feat at Globe Derby. 

Later that year former restricted class Victorian pacer Whirley Dream entered Justice’s stable and he turned the horse into one of the best in the land winning the Group 1 Foundation Cup at Globe Derby. 

In 1993 Justice took out the Leading Australia Trainer title, an achievement he repeated again in 1995. 

Justice’s skill in the sulky was recognised in 1995 and again in 1999 when he was selected to represent Australia at the World Driving Championships. 

After dominating the South Australian scene where he won the Leading Trainer Premiership on 12 occasions Justice followed his brother John to Victoria in 2000 and produced two of the sport’s great champions. 

It didn’t take long for Justice to acquaint himself with the Group 1 stage in Victoria when he drove Safe And Sound to victory in the 2002 A G Hunter Cup. 

In Skyla, Justice landed what he thought as a horse of a lifetime with the pacer winning almost $1.9m in stake money. 

In 2003 Sokyola provided Justice with his first Miracle Mile success and the same pacer completed back to back wins in the race 12 months later with Jodi Quinlan in the sulky as Justice was sitting in the grandstand serving a suspension. 

Among Sokyola’s 78 wins was the 2004 Group 1 SEW Eurodrive Victoria Cup. 

In January 2007 Justice made a triumphant return to his home state when partnered Uncle Petrika to victory in the Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Final at Globe Derby. 

Later that year Justice’s participation on the Grand Circuit was cemented for the next six years when a four-year-old gelding arrived at his Melton stables from New Zealand. 

The horse Smoken Up would go on and become one of the greatest pacers we’ve seen in Australia. 

In January 2008 Smoken Up won the first of four SA Cups equalling the record of the mighty Gammalite. 

Later that year Smoken Up won the first of four Group 1 Len Smith Miles in a time of 1:51.9, the fastest time recorded over a mile in Australasia at the time.   

After finishing runner up the previous year, in 2010 Smoken Up returned to Sydney and went one better in winning the first of his two Miracle Miles. 

He completed back to back wins in Australasia’s premier sprint race a year later. 

In April 2011 Smoken Up became the first Standardbred outside North America to break the 1:50 barrier when he recorded 1:48.5 in winning his third Len Smith Mile. 

Named Australasian Grand Circuit Champion in 2012, Smoken Up amassed more than $3.6m in stakes and among his 74 wins were 12 at Group 1 level. 

Justice’s wonderful contribution to the harness racing industry includes more than a decade as President of the Trainers & Drivers Association. 

He has also provided timely advice and represented many young drivers at Appeal hearings. 

Justice’s illustrious career has netted $20.6m in stake money from his 3489 wins as a trainer including 19 Group 1 successes.  

by John Dunne, for Harnesslink