Caulfield Cup: Katelyn Mallyon earns a chance to keep family tradition alive

CUP FIELD: KATELYN Mallyon will follow in a rich family tradition after securing her first ride in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup on Saturday.

Katelyn Mallyon has earned a start on Go Dreaming in the Caulfield Cup. Picture: Ian Currie

KATELYN Mallyon will follow in a rich family tradition after securing her first ride in the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday.

Mallyon, 22, was confirmed as partner at the Heath for Go Dreaming — a day after earning the provisional Melbourne Cup mount on Lloyd Williams’ Assign.

JAMEKA STILL THE ONE DESPITE AWKWARD DRAW

SIR ISAAC’S FINE WORK HAS IRISH EYES SMILING

Mallyon’s grandfather Mick Mallyon won three Caulfield Cups — on Bunratty Castle (1968), Gay Icarus (1971) and Leilani (1974).

Feted for her Herbert Power Stakes ride on Assign, Mallyon has also picked up the ride on import Grey Lion for next week’s Geelong Cup.

Go Dreaming is Katelyn Mallyon’s mount in the Caulfield Cup. Picture: Mark Brake

The dual champion apprentice is excited at the chance to ride Go Dreaming, who will start from barrier one on Saturday.

“It’s my first Caulfield Cup ride. It’s a race that I’ve always wanted to ride in and I’m really looking forward to it on Saturday,” she said.

“I’m just so excited to be getting a ride. The race means so much to my family with my pop winning three Caulfield Cups. The whole family will be there and hopefully we can get pop off the couch to be there as well.”

Inspired by Michelle Payne’s Melbourne Cup victory on Prince Of Penzance, Mallyon wants to extend a golden run.

“Michelle won the Melbourne Cup last year and I’ve got a ride in it this year. I’m really excited about that and hopefully I can follow in her footsteps,” she said.

“He’s (Go Dreaming) an outsider in the field. The horse ran really well and he’s going to relish every bit of the Caulfield Cup distance and I’m just hoping he can run a really nice race.

“(There’s) No pressure. When I do get closer to the event I’m sure I’ll get a little bit more nervous but I love riding under pressure.”

Mallyon will ride Grey Lion in the Geelong Cup. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mallyon was impressed by Grey Lion’s effort to outpoint Caulfield Cup hope Exospheric at Werribee on Tuesday.

“He worked really nicely this morning. He’s a beautiful big strong horse,” she said. “He can measure up in the Geelong Cup. He’s a beautiful horse. It’s lucky for (trainer) Matt Cumani. He’s got a nice horse in his stable.”

Scottish, Sir Issac Newton and Exospheric were each given a serious hitout over 1400m, while Articus stretched his legs on the synthetic track after a more serious gallop on Monday.

Seven jockeys, including three apprentices, will be having their first ride in the Caulfield Cup.

Three apprentices Ben Allen (Pemberley), Michael Dee (Set Square) and Ben Thompson (first emergency — De Little Engine) will all make their Caulfield Cup debuts.

Patrick Moloney picked up the ride on second emergency Vengeur Masque.

Chris Parnham will also ride in his first Caulfield Cup on Big Memory while Sydney jockey Blake Spriggs will ride Sir John Hawkwood.

$3m CAULFIELD CUP

Caulfield, Saturday

1 PREFERMENT C Waller H Bowman (15) 57kg

2 OUR IVANHOWE L & A Freedman D Dunn (6) 56.5kg

3 EXOSPHERIC L & A Freedman D Oliver (3) 55.5kg

4 SCOTTISH C Appleby K McEvoy (7) 55kg

5 SIR ISAAC NEWTON A O’Brien C O’Donoghue (9) 55kg

6 TARZINO M Price C Newitt (4) 54.5kg

7 ALMOONQITH D & B Hayes & T Dabernig M Walker (2) 54kg

8 SIR JOHN HAWKWOOD J P Thompson B Spriggs (5) 53.5kg

9 ARTICUS A Wohler Z Purton (11) 53kg

10 TALLY J O’Shea B Avdulla (19) 53kg

11 JAMEKA C Maher N Hall (13) 52.5kg

12 REAL LOVE D Weir C Williams (10) 52.5kg

13 SET SQUARE C Maher M Dee (a) (20) 52kg

14 BIG MEMORY T McEvoy C Parnham (12) 51.5kg

15 SACRED MASTER C Waller T Berry (8) 51.5kg

16 FANATIC G Sanders D Yendall (16) 50.5kg

17 PEMBERLEY C Maher B Allen (a) (17) 50.5kg

18 GO DREAMING G Kluske Ms K Mallyon (1) 50.5kg

19e DE LITTLE ENGINE D O’Brien B E Thompson (a) (14) 50.5kg

20e VENGEUR MASQUE M Moroney P Moloney (18) 50.5kg

BETTING: TAB FIXED ODDS