Memorable victory for one-man band Mills

Chris Waller notched a training treble at Canterbury and Blake Shinn rode a trio of winners, but small-scale horseman David Mills boasted the superior strike rate.

Mills, who turns 81 in February, revelled in Satirical Magic’s win after Jason Collett navigated the six-year-old gelding from last.

“I’ve got one in work, that’s him. That’s my full team,” Mills said.

“This is the third time I’ve brought my full team to Canterbury and won.

“The first time was in 1991, I won a double.”

Satirical Magic provided the previous success last October and now 15 starts later he won prevailed again, a half length clear of Fanning.

“Not many people can say I’ve brought all my horses to the races and they’ve won” Mills said.

Mills had a sip of champagne before conveying the news to Satirical Magic’s owner Brian Stockwell, who was in Los Angeles on business.

Stockwell, who runs a freight forwarding company in Ingleburn, leased Satirical Magic early last year to keep Mills in the game.

“I was going to give the game away and Brian said ‘Dave, you’ve got to have a horse or you’ll go mad’,” Mills said.

Satirical Magic was sent out as a $11 chance and never looked likely until Collett shot him into the lead at the 50m.

Grey Moon was the first horse Mills trained and he remembered her fondly.

“She won eight races, four Randwick. I thought ‘How easy’s this?’.”

Mills also thought Satirical Magic would be his last horse.

“I’ve said that before. I’ll retire when I fall off the perch.”