The Gateway 2020: Paniagua heavily backed to win at Eagle Farm

Paniagua is heavily backed to win The Gateway 2020 at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The horse was transferred from Mareeba horseman Alex Malliff to trainer Glen Baker at Beaudesert this week. Paniaggua won at Doomben last Saturday and is now one of the most popular horses in Queensland. The winner of The Gateways 2020 gets a golden ticket into the 2021 Stradbroke Handicap.

Alex Malliff's horse Paniagua has won eight straight races. Piniagaua is a $600 buy. The gelding has been transferred to Glen Baker at Beaudesert to back-up in the $250,000 The Gateway at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Malliffs was involved in a footy brawl in 2004 AFL grand final between the North Cairns Tigers and Port Douglas Crocs. He was banned for five years. He is now a changed man. His horse has put him on the map. It is possible Pniagu will be nominated for the All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley next March.

Malliff was speared in the chest in 2008. His horse is now in care of Baker. Robert Thompson will ride him on Saturday. The team will take another 24 hours to make sure it's all systems go for The Gateway.