Tough Little Guy Chases Home Town Pallarenda Win For Holt Stable

Tough little guy chases home town Pallarenda win

Trainer Georgie Holt is hoping what diminutive colt Satisfied Mugs lacks in size he’ll make up with his raw competitive streak in the time-honoured Pallarenda Stakes at Cluden Park on Saturday.

Satisfied Mugs will lead a three pronged attack on the Great Northern Brewing Co Pallarenda for the Holt stable, alongside fillies Cascia and Royal Prophecy, in a bid to win the race for a third straight year.

Holt is rapt with the progress of all three of her runners – the only Townsville candidates - but is leaning towards Satisfied Mugs after a tenacious barrier trial win a fortnight ago.

The premier trainer has so far resisted gelding the small Invader colt to give him time to grow.

“He’s only a tiny little thing so we’ve left him for a while to get this start out the way. We’ve just given him more time as a colt to get a little bit more scope about him,” Holt said. 

“He has grown but he’s still quite small and he’ll probably be gelded soon.

“There’s no malice in him but he’s like a kid and just very playful and getting to the point where it’s a bit much. 

“I was really happy with his trial. He jumped out before that and performed really well there too. 

“In the trial one went out fast and he’s a bit of a chaser and he handled himself really well and didn’t go too hard. 

“He showed he’s a bit of a professional and wants to be really competitive.

“Obviously it’s difficult being their first race, but he’s got that bit of fight in him and that is a big help.

“Cascia is a nice filly and I think she can run well too even though she missed the trial.

“And Royal Prophecy is still in her first prep where the other two have had the benefit of being in a few times.

“She’s come on a lot and I think she’ll run a race, but Satisfied Mugs is that real go-getter that has that tenacity.”

Holt has won the fillies’ division of the Pallarenda for the past two years, in 2022 with Average Jane, and 2023 with Time To Prophet, on the way to successive training premiership wins at Cluden.

This year the colts, gelding and fillies will run in a single division of the Pallarenda in which Satisfied Mugs and Cairns filly Gold Classic are the only trial winners.

Satisfied Mugs is by Invader out of the four-time winning Sebring mare Smug Satisfaction and was secured by Holt Racing for $23,000 at this year’s March Magic Millions QTIS sale 

Brisbane-based jockey Justin Huxtable has been booked for the ride.

Gold Classic was wayward but impressive when winning her trial at Atherton on October 12 for trainer Scott Cooper and is one of the strong fancies in the race with Michael Murphy to ride.

The filly is by Dracarys and the third foal from the Magic Albert mare Alberta, who has produced the winners Lady Banff and Dutch Rocket.

She was a $22,000 purchase from the same March sale.

The Pallarenda Stakes in race five on Saturday’s six event card and is set down for 3.23pm.