Former AFL coach Denis Pagan will attempt to complete a rare sporting double when he runs Johnny Get Angry in the prestigious Victoria Derby.
Pagan coached the North Melbourne team to AFL premierships in 1996 and 1999 but only gained his licence to train racehorses in July.
Johnny Get Angry will be his first runner in Group One race.
"I'm pretty lucky, I had a lot of slow horses in a 30-year period as a horse owner," Pagan said.
Pagan learned the training business watching Flemington training duo Leon and Troy Corstens, from whom he rents a couple of boxes for his small team.
Johnny Get Angry will go into the Victoria Derby as a maiden but has already been placed twice at stakes level behind Cherry Tortoni, including the Moonee Valley Vase.
The son of Tavistock finished more than seventh lengths from Cherry Tortoni last week but Pagan is confident Johnny Get Angry will see out the 2500m of the Derby.
"I feel confident that he will get that sort of distance, the only thing is I can't tell you is how fast he'll get it, so we've got our fingers crossed," Pagan said.
Johnny Get Angry's jockey Lachlan King, whose father Steven won the 1991 Victoria Derby on Star Of The Realm, might also have his fingers crossed in the barriers on Saturday.
Pagan said Johnny Get Angry got "claustrophobic" because of his size and reared in the gates at Moonee Valley.
Johnny Get Angry is a $34 chance in betting and Pagan said the $2 million in prize money was enough without having to back Johnny Get Angry.
"I just want my horse to run well," Pagan said.
"I just hope he can run to his best and that translates to finishing somewhere in the top half-a-dozen."
The ride on Johnny Get Angry will be King's second ride in a Group One race.
The Victoria Derby will also be a first for South African horseman Mathew de Kock, who recently entered into a training partnership with the experienced Robbie Griffiths.
Mathew is the son of internationally renowned trainer Mike de Kock, who has competed with success all over the world, particularly in Dubai during his long career.
Griffiths and de Kock only began their partnership earlier this month but the pair will saddle the $51 chance Token Spirit.
Token Spirit will race in the all black colours of Black Caviar's breeder, Gilgai Farm owner Ric Jamieson in Saturday's race.
Last year's Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Damian Lane will ride Token Spirit.
Australian Associated Press
