Hey Doc became one of those rare horses to win the same group 1 race three years apart when taking his second Manikato Stakes (G1) at Moonee Valley Oct. 23.
The fifth favorite of the nine runners, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Hey Doc produced a strong performance under Luke Currie, chiming in on straightening to grab leader Dirty Work before holding off the surge of favorite Trekking. While he did shift out under pressure, the three-quarter length margin over Trekking was decisive.
The 7-year-old stopped the clock in 1:08.76, more than half a second quicker than the previous race record of 1:09.29 held jointly by Loving Gaby and Miss Andretti, while it was .01 of a second faster than Runson’s previous track record, set half an hour before the 2018 Manikato won by Brave Smash.
That came as the anticipated rainfall didn’t arrive, ensuring the track was upgraded to a Good 3 and forcing the withdrawal of Diamond Effort and Order Of Command in the 90 minutes before the race.
It was an emotional win for the father and son training partnership, with the horse giving the elder McEvoy his first group 1 winner under the McEvoy Mitchell Racing banner when taking the Australian Guineas (G1) in 2017, while also representing the younger McEvoy’s inaugural top-level triumph in last season’s Winterbottom Stakes (G1).
“I’m bloody emotional, what a grand old horse,” Calvin McEvoy said. “He’s just been a pin-up horse for our stable. And it’s not just about us, but Luke, he looked like he wasn’t going to ride earlier in the week, while Camille (Piantoni), who has ridden him every day for years, she had a fall yesterday morning from a youngster and she’s injured herself.
“When I went up to her yesterday, she looked like she was in plenty of pain but she said the reason she was crying was because she couldn’t lead Hey Doc out tonight. She’s still here tonight, thankfully.”
Currie looked set to be sidelined for the two-day Cox Plate meeting after a barrier incident at Geelong on Wednesday, where he fell awkwardly onto his head and his neck. The 39-year-old had only recently returned to the saddle following a seven-month hiatus due to fracturing his C6 and C7 vertebrae and breaking his ribs in a Moonee Valley fall in February.
However, he was given the all-clear and returned with a stellar ride on Hey Doc to land his 10th group 1 win, while he takes the ride on Fierce Impact in the Oct. 24 Cox Plate (G1).
“It was a bit of a worry,” Currie said. “I landed on my head and neck in exactly the same spot of the injury that I just came back from. I’d like to thank everyone that helped me out there on Thursday in the hospital in Geelong and especially my physio, Andrew Wilson. I keep backing up to go and see him and he’s been looking after me. He got me to the races today.”
The human angle almost overlooks the fact that Hey Doc has joined the club of four-time group 1 winners, with an Australian Guineas, a Winterbottom Stakes and the Manikato Stakes twice.
It was also his 10th victory overall and comes after he spent more than a year on the sidelines due to bone chips and other niggling issues. Since his return last November, he has raced seven times for two group 1 triumphs.
“When he came back and won the Winterbottom off injury that was a special moment, but this is his fourth group 1 now,” McEvoy said. “I wish his owners were here as they’ve been patient throughout his whole career, even as he’s had a couple of setbacks. There’s not many horses that win four group 1's and it’s a very special moment.
“We have targeted this race. He needed those couple of runs. He’s an older, bigger horse now. On Tuesday morning we brought him here, gave him a good bit of work. He was a bit casual on his own. He had a bit of a puff but we knew it would clean him up perfectly.”
Added Currie: “He’s a beauty. He puts himself on the speed and he tries heart out. He just brings it every time he comes to the races.
“I just thought the way the track was playing and being drawn where we were, our advantage was to be bang outside the lead and Bella Vella was very fast so I decided that it was probably better to come back off it because they were going so quick.”
Trekking was on a six-day back-up, having finished three lengths behind Classique Legend when fourth in last weekend’s $15 million The Everest (G1) at Randwick. He lost no admirers in defeat and shapes as a leading player once more in the Darley Sprint Classic (G1) on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
“He’s run super,” said rider John Allen. “Maybe that hard run last week might’ve just told a little bit. That’s just offering an excuse. He tried his heart out to win.”
