Chilled Phil a Classic When it Comes to Race Day

He’s a super cool little dude around the stables who goes by the name of Phil.

Small in stature but tough as teak, he’s better known on the track as Satisfied Mugs -  the short priced favourite for Saturday’s $100,000 Lawrence & Hanson Townsville 2YO Classic (1200m) at Cluden Park.

A winner of four of his six starts, the son of Invader is heading into the north’s richest juvenile race off a thumping win with 62kg for race jockey Ashley Butler in the Classic Prelude on May 16.

He will drop to 57kg under the set weight conditions in Saturday’s race, and his trainer Georgie Holt is confident the fleet-footed young galloper is going into the race after a perfect lead-up.

So “chilled” is young Phil that so far he has evaded the surgeon’s knife and will go into the race the only colt in a field of geldings and fillies.

“He was so small that we decided not to geld him and let him grow.  He’s been such a cool, little dude around the place that we didn’t need to worry about it. He hit the ground running and we just weren’t going to change anything so he’s still a colt, little Phil,” Holt said.

Holt claimed the classic for the first time last year with Dance For Me Randy on her way to a second successive Townsville trainers’ premiership title.

She will also saddle up the lightly performed Dragon Tails and Valubious in Saturday’s big race but is expecting the superior form lines of Satisfied Mugs to carry him a long way on the day.

Her only concern is the colt running out a strong 1200m from a wide draw in gate 11.

All four of Satisfied Mugs’ wins were over 1000m and in his only try at 1200m he finished unplaced in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast in March after suffering severe interference.

“I had a quick talk with Ash and he’s not concerned with the draw but he’s that type of bloke anyway,” Holt said.

“The weight is obviously our biggest advantage under the set weights. To do what he did with the weight that he had in the prelude was very impressive.

“Ashley said there was plenty more in the tank. But anything can happen in these races and the barrier is a little nerve wracking, but he’ll be very competitive that’s for sure.

“I have a lot of respect for the opposition. There are a couple of visiting horses with good form and these races are always tough to win.

“I suppose the one question is the 1200m, but given the way he won with the big weight in the Prelude, I think he’ll see it out and be fine.

“Being a little colt we didn’t want to have him too fired up and fresh with the gap between runs so we gave him a soft trial last week to keep him ticking over and happy.

“Even in his work he’s pretty good at doing what he’s asked to do and is quite composed and I think he knows when it’s race day.

“He doesn’t absolutely have to lead on Saturday, it’s just the way it’s worked out so far and it has worked for him.

“But if something else wants to go mad in front we don’t have to get caught up in a race for the lead.”

Satisfied Mugs is the latest in a line of bargain buys for the Holts and their ownership group who have enjoyed considerable success in QTIS races in the North.

They paid just $5000 each for both Dance For Me Randy and Average Jane who between them won almost $335,000 in prize money, all on northern tracks.

Satisfied Mugs, by Invader out of the Sebring mare Smug Satisfaction, cost $23,000 at last year’s March QTIS yearling sale at the Gold Coast and has already returned just shy of $100,000 in prize money in six starts.

His chief opposition in early markets for the Classic are Rockhampton youngster Saraqael, Toowoomba visitor Bluish Hue, the locally trained Carohvic, Pallarenda winner Gold Classic and impressive last start winner Fabulean.

While the Classic will be Holt’s chief mission on Saturday, she is also excited about the prospects of unbeaten four-year-old Tambo’s Justice in the Clipsal BM65 Hcp (1400m).

Tambo’s Justice won his first three starts at Cluden in the summer before resuming with another impressive win over 1200m on May 6.

“I know he only won by a narrow margin first up but it was over 1200m and the horse wants much further,” Holt said.

“So first up over the trip that was pretty good and since the weather has cooled off he’s really come on.

“You don’t normally get much out of him and he’s normally a poor track worker but in the past two weeks he’s been looking so good.

“He’s a progressive horse and being a late bloomer he’s still working it out, but he’s showing a tremendous amount of potential and hopefully he can keep it going with another win.”

The feature Lawrence & Hanson Townsville 2YO Classic race day kicks off with the Clipsal Hcp at 1.03pm.