Denis Pagan and Lachie King take centre stage with Johnny Get Angry in Victoria Derby

Mark Smith - Saturday October 31

It was an emotional first winner at the highest level for owner/trainer Denis Pagan and apprentice jockey  Lachie King when the Tavistock gelding Johnny Get Angry proved himself the best stayer in Saturday’s $2,000,000 Group 1 AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

A maiden no more Johnny Get Angry (Scott Barbour/Racing Photos)

A maiden in six starts for the former AFL premiership-winning coach, Johnny Get Angry fought like a tiger down the length of the straight to defeat the luckless Dundeel colt Hit The Shot by a length with the favoured Tavistock gelding Young Werther a short-neck back in third.

Advertisement

Johnny Get Angry is the first horse Pagan has trained and he said it was ten times better feeling than coaching a premiership.

 “I am lost for words. It is just an amazing feeling,” Pagan said.

&

;

;

;ldq

uo;I had a good lunch yesterday, probably had too much to drink. “I thought I was low key and had handled it, but I can’t have expected this.

“Everyone was telling me I should use a senior jockey, but I wanted to stick with Lachie, who has stuck with me."

Lachie King was no less emotional in emulating his father Steven King, who rode Star of the Realm to win the 1991 Victoria Derby.

“This is fantastic, I am very emotional, it is an amazing feeling,” King said.

“We thought he could win today. Everything went to plan. It’s a fairytale. I just have to thank Dennis, he is the best thing to happen to my career.   

“I thought I was going too good and got there too early. Dad said patience, patience, try and buy as much time as you can. I thought I would have to time it right because I knew Ollie (Damien Oliver) would pull something out. When I let him down he exploded for me with the blinkers on.”

Purchased by Malua Racing / Flemington Bloodstock for $50,000 out of the Bradbury Park draft at the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Johnny Get Angry was bred by Australian breeder Greg Perry and is the lone winner from three foals to race out of the Zabeel mare Luminova who hails from the family of Group 1   South Australian Derby winner Markham (Salieri).

Johnny Get Angry becomes the 23rd stakes-winner and sixth Group 1 winner for Cambridge Studs ill-fated Tavistock.

The Tavistock – Zabeel cross has proven to be lethal.

The 2015 Victoria Derby winner Tarzino, the Group 1 SAJC Schweppes Oaks winner Toffee Tongue, and the Group 1 The Hong Kong Gold Cup winner Werther are by Tavistock out of Zabeel mares while the ATC Derby hero Tavago is out of a Stravinsky mare who is out of a Zabeel mare.

An $85,000 Magic Millions Yearling, Luminova has a yearling colt by Almanzor (FR) and was covered by Reliable Man (GB) last spring.

Advertisment

Race Result - Aami Victoria Derby Gr1 2500m

Flemington Track: Good(3) Time: 2:41.91
1
Johnny Get Angry
- 3g Tavistock (NZ) x Luminova (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: Denis Pagan Rdr: Lachlan King 57
2
1.0
Hit The Shot
- 3c Dundeel (NZ) x Tang (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: Matthew Cumani Rdr: Fred W Kersley 57
3
1.2
Young Werther
- 3g Tavistock (NZ) x Romantic Time (NZ) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: D Oliver 57
4
1.5
Cherry Tortoni
- 3g Night Of Thunder (IRE) x Tortoni (AUS) (Strategic (AUS))
Tnr: Patrick Payne Rdr: W Egan 57
5
2.2
Let's Karaka Deel
- 3c Dundeel (NZ) x Tegwin (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: C Maher & D Eustace Rdr: John Allen 57
6
2.5
Token Spirit
- 3c Wandjina (AUS) x Miss Keepsake (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: R Griffiths & M De Kock Rdr: Damian Lane 57
7
5.0
Albarado
- 3c Savabeel (AUS) x O'Fille (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: M Zahra 57
8
5.2
Cetshwayo
- 3g Dundeel (NZ) x Haraka (AUS) (Foreplay (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: Jamie Kah 57
9
7.0
Wisaka
- 3g Tavistock (NZ) x Sarvon (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: B Melham 57
10
7.5
Tour Of Duty
- 3c Hinchinbrook (AUS) x Rippled (GB) (Dalakhani (IRE))
Tnr: M D Moroney Rdr: J B Mc Donald 57
11
8.5
Redwood Shadow
- 3g Redwood (GB) x Prickley Princess (NZ) (Thorn Park (AUS))
Tnr: M Price & M Kent Jnr Rdr: Jye McNeil 57
12
8.9
Wertheimer
- 3g Tavistock (NZ) x Wild About Me (NZ) (Lonhro (AUS))
Tnr: T Busuttin & N Young Rdr: J Bowman 57
13
10.9
Kenzan
- 3g Adelaide (IRE) x Canelot (AUS) (Canny Lad (AUS))
Tnr: D T O'Brien Rdr: D Moor 57
14
11.6
Born To Succeed
- 3c Snitzel (AUS) x Miss Match (ARG) (Indygo Shiner (USA))
Tnr: Saab Hasan Rdr: M J Walker 57
More Reading...
Almanzor Stayer wins G3 Tattersalls Cup
It's been a long time since the  2022 Victoria Derby and some may have wondered whether the winner Manzoice was ever going to win again!
Another Aussie SW Sourced from Aga Khan Studs
When Australian investors buy tried horses out of Europe from Aga Khan Studs they know they are getting quality, but the good ones don’t come cheap with Elamaz (IRE) sourced from their draft at the Arqana Arc Sale last year for €480,000.
Corumbene Stud Homebred Tashi Wins G1 Tatts Tiara
From the last crop of foals sired by Widden Stud’s much missed Golden Slipper winning sire Sebring, five year-old mare Tashi may also be his final Group I winner as she produced a career best performance at Eagle Farm on Saturday to win the $700,000 Group I Tatts Tiara (1400m).
Better Than Ready’s Metalart Wins Group 3 W J Healy Stakes
Improving off a third in the Listed Lightning Handicap at Eagle Farm recently, 4yo Better Than Ready gelding Metalart stepped up to 1200m to record his first black type success, winning the Group 3 W J Healy Stakes.
Wootton Bassett Winning Whirl
It was a red letter day for Wootton Bassett (GB) at The Curragh overnight with a treble of winners highlighted by top class filly Whirl, who captured the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f), a race won by the mighty Via Sistina in 2023.
Sires With Winners - Saturday June 28
Here is the full list of 109 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Miss Joelene Achieves Millionaire Status
This time last year, Miss Joelene was highlighting herself as one to watch for the future, having placed in the Group 2 The Roses and the Group 1 Queensland Oaks, and after a few runs behind the outstanding Antino (Redwood) this time in, a class drop on Saturday saw her record victory in the $200,000 Listed BRC Tattersall’s Gold Crown (2100m) at Eagle Farm.
Tattersall’s Mile For The Inflictor - Under The Louvre’s Second SW
Third at Listed level before winning at Doomben, the Craig Cousins-trained The Inflictor (Under The Louvre) then tackled the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, and while not in the same league as winner War Wachine (Harry Angel), the 4yo gelding showed his class on Saturday to win the Listed BRC Tattersall’s Mile (1600m) at Eagle Farm.
Private Eye’s Half-Brother King’s Secret Wins Again
Although he may never reach the heights of his older half-brother Private Eye, a Group 1 winner and earner of more than $12m to date, connections of King’s Secret (Shalaa) are sure to have plenty of their own fun with the 3yo gelding winning at Rosehill on Saturday.
Aussie 2YO SW for Tivaci
New Zealand-bred colt Matahga stamped himself as an exciting spring three-year-old prospect with a hard-fought victory in the A$120,000 Listed David Peacock Oaklands Plate (1400m) at Morphettville on Saturday.