Class rose to the top when the heavily backed favourite French Emotion won the VOBIS Gold Distaff at Caulfield.

French Emotion has relished being back on firmer footing in Melbourne at her past three starts and overcame difficulties in scoring over 1400m on Saturday.

Backed from $2.80 into $2.35, jockey Ben Melham had to weave his way through runners to score a long head win over Whistle Baby ($4.80) with Devilishly ($21) a length away third.

French Emotion was a Group Two winner in mares grade at Flemington last October before later running second in the Group One Myer Stakes to end her spring campaign.

The Chris Waller stable thought highly enough of the Snitzel mare to run her in black-type races in Sydney during the autumn, however her campaign was thwarted by wet tracks.

"I think in Sydney she was unlucky running into bottomless tracks which didn't suit as she's not a very big filly," Waller's Melbourne representative Johanne Taylor said.

"Coming to Melbourne and getting some good tracks, it shows she is effective."

Taylor admitted to nerves at the top of the straight seeing the mare buried on the fence but was quick to praise Melham for his ride.

Taylor is unsure of what plans Waller has in mind for the five-year-old.

"Chris will have a look at the program," Taylor said.

"Whether it's Adelaide or the Gold Coast, I'm sure he'll place her where it will best suit to get a bit more black type."