Pagan after Melbourne Cup ticket

[Wandering Eyes]

Denis Pagan is after further Flemington feature spoils when he lines-up Turn It Up Tommy (NZ) (Tivaci) in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) on Saturday.

The former AFL coach scored success in the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at the Melbourne track two years ago with New Zealand-bred Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock) and he is hoping fellow Kiwi-bred Turn It Up Tommy can get a Flemington stakes win this weekend.

If successful, the three-year-old son of Tivaci would earn ballot-free entry into the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in November.

While initially planning to head to the Gr.1 South Australian Derby (2500m) with his charge, an injury interrupted preparation and a word with good friend and fellow trainer Troy Corstens swayed the trajectory of his autumn plans.

“After he won his maiden five-and-a-half weeks ago we had him where we wanted him and then an abscess developed and we had to slow down and he missed some work,” Pagan told Bensley.

“I was hoping to get him back in a 10 furlong three-year-old race at Caulfield a couple of weeks ago, but he missed that because he wasn’t right.

“He got balloted out as an emergency on Saturday. I had to run him at Geelong because he hadn’t had a run. It was a Heavy8 and I would have scratched him if he didn’t need the run. 

“I had my eyes on the SA Derby at that stage. He ran and it was race seven, and a couple of the more experienced Ballarat trainers said parts of it (track) were more like a 10 and I regret running him.

“He has come through it super and he is bouncing around the place. I couldn’t be more happy with him.

“I brought him out on Monday morning just to see how he was and he was full of himself.

“He is nominated for the Derby and Troy Corstens said to me ‘what about the Ramsden?’ 

“We put him in and it (field) and it might not be as strong as I first thought. It might be an exercise worthwhile doing.

“I am going to find out whether he can stay and at least we are going to get on a Good track. I want to gallop him on a Good track, I don’t want to be galloping him on a Heavy track.

“He is probably not going to get a run in the SA Derby and I have probably saved myself $6,000-$7,000 by not having to transport him over to SA to be an emergency.

“I wouldn’t forgive myself if we did that and he didn’t get a run, so I have decided to have a go at Flemington on Saturday in the Andrew Ramsden.”

Pagan has plenty of time for the promising three-year-old and he said there is still a Derby opportunity to pursue if they want to after Saturday.

“I think Tommy has ability, it just needs to come out now. He is a big, strong horse and looks super,” Pagan said.

“If I had dreams of Derbys, there is another one up north (Queensland) in a couple of weeks anyway.

“We will just see what happens.”

Turn It Up Tommy was initially purchased out of Waikato Stud’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $50,000 before he was purchased by Pagan in a two-year-old sale in Australia for A$80,000.

Meanwhile, Pagan is looking forward to the return of his Group One winner Johnny Get Angry.

The son of Tavistock has faced a litany of issues since nearly tailing the field home in the Melbourne Cup last year, but he is nearing his return to Pagan’s Flemington barn.

“We had a lot of problems with him,” Pagan said. 

“We had to get a scintigraphy done, he had a lot of sore spots, he had a broken rib and I think he has knocked himself in the stable, maybe on the walker with the gate blowing on him, I don’t know.

“He also had throat surgery.

“He has been back in work for two or three weeks at the pre-trainers and he seems to be going okay.

“He will be back to Flemington in three weeks and we will find out whether he will be okay.

“He couldn’t let down last time. Every time he did he couldn’t get any oxygen. We have just got to see what happens, and that vet was very pleased with the operation.

“I have got my fingers crossed. He is a lovely horse and I just hope that he comes back and does okay.”

Johnny Get Angry was purchased by Pagan out of Bradbury Park’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $50,000.

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