MELBOURNE - Des Gleeson described his last day officiating as chief steward at a race meeting as busy and surprisingly emotional at Caulfield.

Gleeson, 61, who will step down from his job as Racing Victoria’s Director of Integrity Services at the end of the month, had the final event of the eight-race program, won by the Colin Little-trained Pinsemtoit, named after him.

“It is an honour and a privilege,” Gleeson said.

“I didn’t think it would be (emotional)but it was. I had plenty of wellwishers including some who I didn’t think would have the time to.

“(Being a steward) is something I’ll miss.It’s something I’ve enjoyed for 35 years, but more particularly the last 12 years (as chief steward).”

“I’ve made a lot of friends in racing. Good people becoming involved and remaining involved and I hope to continue my associationwith them.”

Gleeson said he had many fond memories of racing at Caulfield.

“Might And Power’s magnificent win in the ‘97 Caulfield Cup when he broke Tulloch’s record - a record that had stood since 1957 - that was a memorable day,” he said.

“Taufan’s Melody’s 1998 Caulfield Cup win and the carnage over the last couple of hundred metres, and Lonhro.

“Some great horses have competed here over the years.”

Gleeson was working at what is now known as the Nestle factory in his home town Warrnambool before starting out with the South Western District Racing Association as a steward in 1973.

Some five years later he gained a position on the Victoria Racing Club stewards’ panel.

He was appointed chairman of stewards after Pat Lalor retired in 1996.

He has always prided himself with upholding the integrity of racing, being a very fair steward and making sure that participants are on a level playing field.

“You have to uphold the rules and you have to treat everybody equally, it doesn’t matter who they are,” he said.

During the past few years Gleeson has overseen the transformation of the RVL stewards’ department to an extensively resourced integrity services unit covering surveillance, compliance, bet monitoring and bookmakers’supervision and expanded drug testing.

When Gleeson started as chief steward he was in charge of nine stewards and three or four administrative staff but by this year the RVL Integrity Services Department had grown to 52 staff.

RVL steward Terry Bailey has been appointed to take over from Gleeson as chairman of stewards and in charge of raceday operations while Dayle Brown was appointed to oversee non-raceday operations.