David Hayes showcased his Thousand Guineas strength through Gregers at Moonee Valley last weekend and he is looking to do the same in male equivalent at Flemington this Saturday. Great Esteem, one of the horses the resurgent trainer considers one of his top seeds for the $1 million BECK Caulfield Guineas, resumes in the $80,000 Margo Harland and Margaret Eades 0-78 Handicap (1410m).
Hayes has been excited about the Redoute’s Choice colt ever since his eye-catching third in the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes in March and he is eager to see a big first-up run from him.
“He’s a good track worker and we’re pretty excited about him, but I just want to see him do it at the races now,” Hayes said.
“He might be elite at 2000 metres, not a mile but he is exciting. If he can put these away, he’ll put himself on track for the Guineas and even the Golden Rose.”
Great Esteem, who has the services of Glen Boss, will start from the second-widest barrier in the eight-horse Margo Harland and Margaret Eades Handicap, which is Race 2 on the nine-event card at 12.05pm.
He will end up the 58.5kg topweight after Patrick Moloney’s 3kg claim reduces Resistant’s weight to 57kg, while Jade’s Boy, Salute to Jude, Mahican and Saralago are among his other rivals.
Great Esteem could be destined for bigger races than even the Caulfield Guineas, which will be run on 12 October, if he returns as Hayes hopes.
He joined fellow colt Fast ‘N’ Rocking and boom filly Gregers as Hayes’ three-year-old entries for the $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m).
“If they can win a Caulfield or Thousand Guineas, you’ve got the option of running with ‘40-nothing’ kilos,” Hayes said of his three-year-olds. “We’re keeping all doors open at this early stage.”
Hayes reported that Gregers had come through her dazzling first-up win in fine style, but he was no closer to deciding whether her second-up outing would be at Moonee Valley on 24 August or Caulfield seven days later.
“She’s eating, which is a good sign,” Hayes said. “She could run as soon as three weeks (between runs) or a month. I’ll make up my mind in the next week or so.”