Handy stayer Highland Jakk snared a metropolitan victory at The Valley on New Year’s Eve, when coming with a perfectly timed run under Craig Williams to narrowly get the better of the fast-finishing Fighting Arrow in the Ladbrokes Same Race Multi Handicap (2040m).

It was the fifth career victory for the son of Jakkalberry who is prepared by Robert Hickmott at Ballarat.

“It was a super ride and he got the run when he needed it,” Hickmott said.

“The natural transition for this horse is to a Rating 78 and there is one next week over a mile and a half, which might come up a bit soon, but we would like to step him up to that distance again soon.

“We can still win those graded races which is terrific.

“He had a bleed as a three-year-old, so we had to give him one year and get his lungs right but now he is a fully set horse, he won’t have a problem.”

Highland Jakk was bought by Hickmott’s brother Michael at the 2018 Karaka yearling sales. He was a $25,000 purchase from Luigi Muollo’s Novara Park, home to his late sire Jakkalberry, who was placed in the 2012 Melbourne Cup.

As a three-year-old Highland Jakk placed at Listed level in behind Pancho and subsequent Group One winner Russian Camelot.