The career of the Group 1 Australian Guineas and Group 1 Manikato Stakes hero Hey Doc looked to be all but over when he was sidelined for more than a year after undergoing bone chip surgery but at just his second start after his enforced holiday the 6yo son of Duporth earned a third win at the highest level in Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth.
Luke Currie eased the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained gelding across from his outside barrier and was gifted an uncontested lead.
A rejuvinated Hey Doc earns a third Group 1 win image Grant Courtney
It was a procession from there on and it was apparent when he was still full of running coming around the home turn that Hey Doc had the race well in control.
The 6yo gelding defeated Vital Silver (Wanted) by two and a half lengths with the 10yo veteran Rock Magic (Redoute’s Choice), who ran in the race as a 4yo in 2014, another long neck away in third.
"I definitely would have liked to have drawn inside a few," Currie said.
"When I got over I never felt I was going to get beaten. He did it nice and easy in front.
"He is a special horse to me. He cemented my relationship with Tony McEvoy which has been the difference in my career and congratulations to Calvin on his first Group 1."
Tony McEvoy said it was a special moment to get a first Group 1 with his son.
“This will be the first of many I can assure you,” he said.
“He (Calvin) is in Melbourne having ten days off before flying to Hong Kong and I’m staying home and working so there is something wrong there.
“Hey Doc was fabulous today. All the signs were telling us that. It’s been about a five-month campaign to get him back. We gave him a long time with his injury and then gave him a long slow prep back. He was very close (when third) at Sandown, he wasn’t quite there and his class got him to within a neck and then to see the improvement in him physically from there to here, well I wish I was a punter I would have had a bet”.
Hey Doc as a yearling
Consigned to the 2015 Inglis Premier Yearling sale by Rosemont Stud, Hey Doc was knocked down to McEvoy Mitchell Racing for $85,000.
The 6yo gelding has been rock-solid investment.
His overall record stands at 9 wins, 1 second and 3 thirds from 23 starts with earnings of $2,387,300.
Hey Doc is the second and final foal of the 3-time winning General Nediym mare Heyington Honey who died in February 2015.
He is a son of Kooringal Stud's underrated stallion Duporth, a Group 1 winning son of Red Ransom who stands for a fee of $8,800 in 2019
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