Co-trainer Tony McEvoy has declared that Hey Doc is on the improve as he chases another Group 1 win in the 2020 $500,000 Neds C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Hey Doc, above, is one of the top fancies for the 2020 C.F. Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Hey Doc had a short freshen up after winning his third Group 1 with his victory in the $1m Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on November 30 before finishing a tidy second to Scales Of Justice in the Group 2 $200,000 Mortimer Petroleum Australia Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on January 24.
Scales Of Justice is also a multiple Group 1 winner and the pair are set to clash again in Saturday’s weight for age contest.
“I’d say there’s good improvement to come out of it and I suppose there doesn’t need to be a lot of improvement because he still ran second,” Tony McEvoy told AAP.
“Only one got past him so it was still a pretty good performance. But he’s definitely improved.
“He’s a Group One horse. He’s very honest and I expect him to be highly competitive again.”
Regular rider Luke Currie takes the mount again on Hey Doc who drew barrier five in the twelve horse C.F. Orr Stakes field while Scales Of Justice will jump from gate seven with Dean Yendall retaining the ride.
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Hey Doc is yet to win at Caulfield and has only managed to finish third on two occasions from five attempts but Tony McEvoy has no qualms about the six year old handling the tricky circuit.
“Caulfield can do that to horses, for sure, but there’s not one of those races we walked away from and blamed the track,” Tony McEvoy told AAP.
“We just thought there were other circumstances.
“He was huge in the Guineas from his wide barrier.
“So I think he goes at the track, but yes he hasn’t been able to win there.”
Hey Doc’s last appearance at Caulfield resulted in a fourth to Vega Magic in the Group 1 $1m Memsie Stakes (1400m) during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival.
Final field for the 2020 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 511x42147x | AVILIUS (GB) | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 3 | 59kg | 116 |
| 2 | 1x7x58x312 | HEY DOC | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Luke Currie | 5 | 59kg | 113 |
| 3 | x53x1215x1 | SCALES OF JUSTICE | Lindsey Smith | Dean Yendall | 7 | 59kg | 114 |
| 4 | x6720x211x | FIERCE IMPACT (JPN) | Matthew Smith | Craig Williams | 8 | 59kg | 112 |
| 5 | 36Px58166x | KINGS WILL DREAM (IRE) | Chris Waller | Mark Zahra | 2 | 59kg | 110 |
| 6 | 0x6768256x | FIFTY STARS (IRE) | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Jye McNeil | 4 | 59kg | 107 |
| 7 | 50x125040x | SO SI BON | David & B Hayes & T Dabernig | Luke Nolen | 12 | 59kg | 104 |
| 8 | 0x1322x30x | MIRAGE DANCER (GB) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | Ben Melham | 9 | 59kg | 110 |
| 9 | 000x59260x | NIGHT’S WATCH (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damien Oliver | 11 | 59kg | 105 |
| 10 | 1111x161x7 | BEGOOD TOYA MOTHER | Daniel Bowman | Declan Bates | 6 | 59kg | 107 |
| 11 | 047100x6x4 | RINGERDINGDING | Anthony Freedman | John Allen | 1 | 59kg | 98 |
| 12 | 1x2517x1 | ALABAMA EXPRESS | Michael Moroney | Michael Dee | 10 | 55.5kg | 81 |
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