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Johnny Get Angry impressive in VRC Derby victory
The Cambridge Stallion Tavistock (Montjeu) was handed his sixth elite level winner as the Denis Pagan-trained Johnny Get Angry (3 g ex Luminova by Zabeel) produced an impressive performance to break his maiden in the VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Trained by former Australian Rules AFL title-winning coach Denis Pagan, the gelding was locked neck-and-neck with favourite Young Werther (Tavistock) in the final 200 metres but stormed home by more than a length over the fast-finishing Hit The Shot (Dundeel). Young Werther finished another long-neck away in third.
"All I was thinking at the 600 was 'don't wake up'," said winning jockey Lachlan King, who won his first Group 1 race. "I've lived this moment in my dreams and it worked out so well.
"It's unbelievable."
Pagan who coached Australian Rules side North Melbourne to AFL titles in 1996 and 1999 and only earned his trainer's licence this year, said he could not believe the horse had won the race.
"I'm lost for words," Pagan said. "It's just such an amazing feeling. I thought I was pretty low key yesterday and had a good lunch and maybe a bit too much to drink.
"I didn't expect this. And it's happened."
Purchased by Malua Racing and Flemington Bloodstock for NZ$50,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale, the gelding is out of placed Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Luminova.
Tavistock and Zabeel have proved to be match made in heaven with daughters of Zabeel producing six stakes winners when mated to the stallion and Johnny Get Angry becomes the fourth elite level bred on the cross, joining Werther, Tarzino and Toffee Tongue.
Luminova herself is a daughter of Pavlova (Singspiel), while further back this is the same family as Group 2 winner Fubu (Last Tycoon) and 2013 LKS Mackinnon Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Side Glance (Passing Glance).
In 2019 Luminova foaled a colt by Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Wootton Bassett). Tavistock last year aged 14.
