AFL great eyes more Flemington success

With photos and stories splashed across pages of daily newspapers and on TV news coverage, you could forgive his former players thinking Pagan is a hypocrite given the publicity he has attracted since his successful foray into training thoroughbreds.

The two-time Kangaroos premiership coach etched his name into racing history, training Johnny Get Angry to win the 2020 VRC Derby at Flemington, and hopes to have another winner at the historic racecourse on Saturday.

"It's true. I didn't like to see the players all over the media but I'm in a different world now," Pagan told ACM Racing.

"I've kicked back a couple of gears since my coaching days. I'm away from all the hype of being under the spotlight as an AFL coach but I still keep a close eye on what's going on in the footy. I love training horses and being involved with them.

"It's a great way of life. The thoroughbreds are just such wonderful animals. They all have wonderful natures."

Pagan saddles up Georgie Get Mad, a horse he owns with his wife Cheryl in a $130,000 benchmark race down the famous Flemington straight on Saturday. He's looking for a forward showing from the lightly raced five-year-old.

"Georgie Get Mad has been a good honest horse," he said. "Georgie Get Mad is a well-bred horse who has won five races. I'm still learning a few things about him.

"He's been a slow maturer and has just needed a bit of time to mature. I was a bit disappointed with his last effort to run fifth at Caulfield but it's in the back of my mind he doesn't like running at Caulfield.

"Georgie Get Mad's effort to win over 1400m at Flemington - two runs back - was a great performance and he followed that up with a fourth placing at Flemington at his next start.

"The distance is 1200m on Saturday but I think 2000m might be his best distance. I've learnt in my time as a trainer luck plays a massive part in racing.

"It's a thrill to have a winner anywhere but to have one at Flemington is extra special. It's one of the greatest racecourses in the world. There's so much history at Flemington."

Young apprentice jockey Tom Prebble has Saturday's ride on Georgie Get Mad and Pagan is hoping to create another special piece of racing history if the youngster can win the race.

"I spoke to Tom earlier in the week and he's really looking forward to the ride," he said. "Tom has never won a race at Flemington.

"It would be a huge thrill if Tom could get home on Georgie Get Mad and give him his first Flemington win as his dad Brett had so much success riding at the course, including the 2012 Melbourne Cup winner. I've had a lot of luck using the young apprentice jockeys.

"They just get out there and give it their best shot. I suppose the young jockeys are a bit like the young footballers. I used to love giving the young footballers a go. I will not be loading Tom up with instructions. There's no need. He's a smart kid with a wise head on his shoulders. I'll just be there barracking for him."

Bet365 rates Georgie Get Mad a $21 chance in the early betting markets while Baraquiel is the $3.20 favourite with the betting operators.

Pagan has six horses on his books with three in training at his Flemington stables and the other three in pre-training with Tom Sadler.

"I'm really lucky that Leon and Troy Corstens lease the boxes to me," he said.

"I'm usually at Flemington at 5am each morning for trackwork. I really love it.

"The VRC have been very supportive to my training career plus Leon and Troy have been great. I get the time to spend mornings in the training tower with the likes of Ben, Wil and JD Hayes, Sam Freedman and Peter Snowden when he comes down from Sydney and of course I can't forget Troy.

"It's a great group of people who love having a chat about the news of the day."

This Saturday the big Darwin Cup Carnival kicks up a gear with the running of the $135,000 NT Derby. The $135,000 Palmerston Sprint is a feature on Saturday, August 3, before the time-honoured $200,000 Darwin Cup is run on Monday, August 5.