Trainer Tony McEvoy believes that Hey Doc has the right medicine to break through for a Group 1 win in the $750,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Hey Doc, above, is the favourite for the Australian Guineas at Flemington. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Hey Doc is the firm favourite at $3.30 for the Australian Guineas at Ladbrokes.com.au coming off a last start win Group 3 $150,000 C S Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 18.
“This is the race we have set him for. So third run back he was always going to be at his peak,” McEvoy told racing.com.
“He was super impressive second up and I believe the horse has come on really well.”
“Camille who rides him and knows him better than anyone, she’s confident.”
McEvoy is confident that jockey Luke Currie will give Hey Doc the run of the race from barrier two and a win in the Group 1 for the three year olds would also boost the profile of his stable.
“(Barrier 2) gives the horse every possible hope, it takes the pressure off of Luke and he’s just going to get the perfect run in the race now and we couldn’t be happier,” McEvoy said.
“This is what we strive for. I’ve been building this stable for six years and it’s been going very well but I need to win one at the elite level.”
“We haven’t had many chances, I must say, but this will be our best chance we have had for some time.”
“For all of my staff and all of my team and everything we work for, and certainly my brand, it would be a great tonic for us.”
Hey Doc is the winner of five races from eleven starts and hit the spotlight during the 2016 Spring Carnival when he made it a hat trick of wins when he took out the Group 2 $200,000 Strathmore Community Bank Stutt Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley before running third to Divine Prophet in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield.
Hey Doc is up against Divine Prophet again in the Australian Guineas and the Team Hawkes trained colt is coming off a first up ninth of twelve behind Black Heart Bart in the Group 1 $500,000 Ladbrokes C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on February 11.
Caulfield Guineas winning jockey Dwayne Dunn takes the ride again and Divine Prophet has drawn barrier ten in the capacity sixteen horse field plus three emergencies.
Divine Prophet is on the second line of betting at $9 for the Australian Guineas just ahead of the Team Snowden trained Attention and Lindsay Park’s Seaburge at $11.
Also in contention at $12 a piece is the Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon and the John O’Shea trained Morton’s Fork.
