Townsville win backs up Malliff’s faith in Paniagua
MAREEBA trainer Alex Malliff did hear the remarks from others thinking he was getting carried away when Paniagua won his second non-TAB race in a row last month.
After that, Malliff declared he would head to the $35,000 Magic Millions Whitsunday 3YO Guineas (1560m) in Mackay on the final day of July with the improving gelding.
“Settle down, mate, he has won a four-horse country race at Tolga” was the general gist of the feeling of some in the industry.
The three-year-old bay has certainly gone on with it since then, backing up Malliff’s gut feeling, winning the QTIS Three-Years-Old Handicap (1400m) in stylish fashion on Tuesday at Townsville, and looks well placed for the Sugar City now.
Malliff thinks Paniagua, who is locally owned, has improved by five lengths over the last few months.
“I was pretty confident with the horse, he is lovely,” Malliff said. “A few people thought I was getting carried away winning those non-TABs, but that is OK, because I knew what I had.
“That last start was a guide to see if he would get the trip, which he did easily and the horse has just kept improving.
“The horse has always had ability, it has just been about getting him spot-on and getting the right pilot.”
Mareeba’s Malliff also trained Paniagua’s full brother Terrasaurus, who was just a $600 purchase online from Toowoomba, and now has collected $38,850 from eight career starts.
The field in the Guineas is again likely to be another step up in class for the Mareeba galloper but his stable think he is a live chance to win it. Townsville jockey Scott Sheargold, who rode the three-yearold on Tuesday, suggested he would be a Cup horse next year.
Meanwhile, a Cairnsowned pair of horses will be right in the thick of it for the start of the central and north Queensland racing carnival on Friday afternoon.
Inquiry will be top-weight in Friday’s Rockhampton Newmarket, worth $65,000, while stablemate North Afrika is an emergency in the Rockhampton Cup. The pair are trained by Jared Wehlow out of the beef capital of Australia and have FNQ-based owners.