Pagan’s back in winner’s circle
Derby up with flags
BARELY 24 hours after experiencing the most unlikely high of a decorated sports career, Denis Pagan’s feet finally hit the ground.
Six months into his horse training career, the dual AFL premiership coach, pictured, grasped the joyous reality he is entrenched on the honour roll of one of Australia’s most coveted races, the Group 1 Victoria Derby.
Pagan’s name sits alongside immortals — Bart Cummings, Colin Hayes and Tommy Smith — two decades after ruling the AFL coaching ranks.
The 73- year- old masterminded flags at North Melbourne in 1996 and ’ 99.
As owner- trainer of Johnny Get Angry, Pagan has the support of several key racing figures, including Troy Corstens, but he is almost a one- man band compared with his AFL days.
On Sunday, as he lunched with wife Cheryl and friends and family in Moonee Ponds, Pagan was still coming to terms with the biggest payday of his training career after landing the $ 2m Derby.
“Great day, great day,” he said. “I’ve come back to terra firma this morning when I got out of bed and realised what had occurred.
“It’s amazing. Gee, a 167year- old race and I’m lucky enough to win it.”
Pagan hardly celebrated on Saturday. He had overindulged on Friday when he went out for lunch with fellow trainers from Flemington’s tower one.
“On Friday, and I just think of all the times I’ve been involved, under- 19s, reserves and senior grand finals, and I’ve been like a zombie,” he said.
“I’ve walked around and locked myself in rooms, off my head.
“On Friday, I went out to lunch with all the boys from tower one and probably overstepped the mark and had to go down to trackwork on Saturday morning.
“But I didn’t have a care in the world.
“I didn’t have to worry about being responsible to owners or the board or supporters or media.
“It was just so enjoyable.
“So last night ( Saturday), I didn’t do much. I’d had too much to drink on Friday.
“The lunch today is to thank all the people who’ve helped me with Johnny.”
Pagan will send Johnny Get Angry for a spell before preparing the gelding for the autumn festival.
“I thought about running him in the Mackinnon Stakes ( on Saturday) but wiser heads prevailed,” he said.
“He’ll go to Blue Gum Farm ( at Euroa) on Monday morning. He’ll then go over to Troy’s ( Corstens) farm and he’ll probably do a bit of pretraining out of the paddock to get him ready doe the autumn.
“See what happens from there.”
Pagan was disappointed Corstens and fellow Flemington trainer Saab Hasan were fined $ 1000 for breaching COVID- 19 protocols for embracing him after the win.
Pagan will not have to worry overly about the occasional bet. His share, as owner- trainer, of the VRC bounty was $ 1.2m.