Great Esteem Records Tough Win In Heatherlie Stakes

Great Esteem led from start to finish to record a tough victory in the 2016 Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield this afternoon.

Great Esteem never looked like getting beaten in the Heatherlie Stakes. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Great Esteem never looked like getting beaten in the Heatherlie Stakes. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Great Esteem took up the running and was unable to be caught when he recorded a comfortable victory in the Beveridge Williams Plate (1600m) at Caulfield on August 13 and Katelyn Mallyon employed identical tactics in the Heatherlie Stakes.

Mallyon had the race in her control coming around the final bend and he never looked like getting beaten in the final stages of the Heatherlie Stakes.

Great Esteem was Mallyon’s only ride on Memsie Stakes day and she was clearly delighted to take advantage of her opportunity in the Listed race.

“It was a good win last start when Nick Hall rode him and he went straight to the front again,” Mallyon said.

“He just cruised along at a comfortable speed and he was just too good for him.

“I like the way that he put them away at the corner and I knew from then that he wasn’t going to get beaten.”

Great Esteem joined the stable of Stuart Webb after he failed to fire during his winter campaign for Team Snowden and Webb has been able to turn around the career of the six-year-old by schooling him over jumps.

Webb said after the race that he is unsure where he will head with Great Esteem, but he did not rule out a potential crack at the Group 3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on September 17 – a race that offers the winner ballot-exempt entry into the Caulfield Cup.

“He has been terrific and again today it didn’t look in doubt,” Webb said.

“He came to us as a tried older horse and he is a terrific jumper that has gone down the lane jumping three times this week.

“Every time he meets a hurdle his ears are pricked and he just can’t wait to jump it – it has really changed him around.

“I hadn’t really plotted much of a path with him and I was just hoping that we would get a win or two under his belt.

“Whether he is up to that grade I am not sure, but this time of year there isn’t a lot of open handicaps and he will have to progress somewhere after today.”

Tom Melbourne was second all the way and he was unable to get past Great Esteem in the final stages of the Heatherlie Stakes.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.