Talented juveniles Lessyd and Hey Doc will have their next race starts in the Inglis Premier and trainer Tony McEvoy has indicated that connections may be willing to pay the $55,000 late entry fee for the 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes if either horse performs well in the $250,000 event.
Hey Doc and Lessyd fought out the finish in the Better Beyond Plate at Flemington on Saturday. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos
Hey Doc went into the Better Beyond Plate (1100m) at Flemington on January 16 as the more fancied of the McEvoy duo in the race following his impressive debut victory in the Schweppes Plate (1050m) at Morphettville on January 2 and he put his nose in front at the 250 metre mark, but Lessyd found the line strongly and scored a very narrow win over his stablemate.
McEvoy told Racing Ahead this morning that he was impressed with both horses in the Better Beyond Plate, but he pointed out that there was plenty of merit in the victory of Lessyd.
“After I watched that race a few times I thought that very little went right for Lessyd,” McEvoy said.
“I saw on Saturday that Hey Doc got exposed a long way from home and he floated for a couple of furlongs which didn’t help him, but when I watched Lessyd he had to make a mid-race move and he ran three furlongs in a row sub 11.
“It was a pretty good performance.”
McEvoy admitted after the Better Beyond Plate that he has been surprised by just how well Lessyd and Hey Doc have performed as two-year-olds and he confirmed that neither horse had been included in the nominations for the Group 1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) that will be held at Caulfield on February 27.
The in-form trainer said that Lessyd and Hey Doc will press on to the Inglis Premier at Caulfield on February 6 and he left open the possibility that either horse could earn a start in the Blue Diamond Stakes with an Inglis Premier win.
“He sort of got there a little bit earlier than we wanted, coming through there was never really a plan to win at two and here we are raising the bar,” McEvoy said.
“Both of those boys will go straight to the Inglis Premier on the sixth of February.”
Extreme Choice is currently available at 2016 Blue Diamond Stakes odds of $6 with Ladbrokes and he is a clear favourite from Calliope ($9), Defcon ($9) and Hell Of An Effort ($15).
