“You can’t be confident first-up after 18 months or so,” Malliff said.
“But, he’s a very good horse and is always very competitive.
“He’s still only a seven-year-old and he’s been in work since December and he’s had a jump out at Mareeba on Saturday. There’s no pressure on him.”
Paniagua developed a cult-like following capturing the attention of racegoers around the state winning eight straight races including the Cairns Cup and Country Cups Challenge Final in Brisbane in 2020.
However, the son of Tycoon Ruler was sidelined for several months with injury for the first time after finishing second in the Laura Cup on his home track at Mareeba in June, 2021.