Melbourne Cup Ambitions For Johnny

Gr1 VRC Derby winner Johnny Get Angry (Tavistock-Luminova, by Zabeel) will be aimed at the Gr1 Melbourne Cup, and trainer Denis Pagan told racing.com that it's a dream he couldn't have imagined. When I started this off all I really wanted was a runner at Flemington, to think I might have a horse that's a chance to get a run in the Melbourne Cup is just mind-boggling for me," he said. Johnny Get Angry returned to Pagan's stable this week after a spell. "He looks super at the moment, he's only been in three or four days and has been on the treadmill for a couple of days and he'll start cantering from tomorrow," Pagan said. "He had six or seven weeks in and I tipped him out for another four weeks, so he's had three months off this year, so he's ready to go now and this is the start of his campaign for the spring." Asked where he'd kick off his spring, Pagan said, "Probably the Makybe Diva, maybe the Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup and hopefully he gets a run in the Melbourne Cup." Johnny Get Angry last raced in the Gr1 VRC Derby at the end of October 2020 and has one win and three placings from his 7 starts. Pagan has only ten horses on his books with six currently in training. Recently he purchased a yearling at the Tattersalls Sale in the UK and has named him Georgie Get Mad (Australia-Skimmia, by Mark of Esteem). "He's a 2YO Northern Hemisphere-time horse by Australia," Pagan said. "He has been broken in and he's been spelling and is coming back in for his second prep and he looks terrific and I'm really excited about what the future holds for him."