After the predicted wet weather failed to materialise, the 7-year-old relished the Good 3 track and perfectly ridden by Currie, pounced on the lead at the top of the Moonee Valley straight before seeing off a late challenge from race favourite Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) to secure his second upset victory in the race, having previously won it in 2017.
In doing so, he was able to set a new track record for the 1200 metres around Moonee Valley, breaking the old mark, set by Runson (Delzao) two years ago, by just a hundredth of a second in 1:08.76.
He withstood Trekking by 0.75l on the line, with the margin enough to dissuade John Allen, aboard the James Cummings-trained runner-up, from firing in an objection for minor interference late in the race.
Hey Doc's conqueror last start in the G2 Schillaci S., Dirty Work (Written Tycoon), surged into contention along the rail late on, but only got within 0.95l of the winner on the line. That trio were well clear of the rest of the field, headed by the fast-finishing Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner), who was beaten 2.7l.
With his fourth Group 1 victory was surprisingly straight-forward for Hey Doc, the build-up to the race had been anything but. Currie was lucky to escape serious injury in a pre-race barrier incident at Geelong on Wednesday, while his usual strapper, and the giant gelding's constant companion, Camille Piantoni, was unable to fulfill her normal duties as she injured her shoulder during a trackwork mishap on the same day.
She was overcome by emotion as her beloved Hey Doc defied the betting market to post a second win in this race and his fourth Group 1 overall, having won the G1 Winterbottom S. last year and the 2017 Australian Guineas.
Calvin McEvoy, who trains with his father Tony, could not have been happier with the win.
"It’s bloody emotional. What a great old horse he is. He has just been a pin-up horse for our stable. He was dad's first Group 1 winner under the McEvoy Mitchell brand, and he was my first Group 1 winner in partnership with dad," he said.
"He was dad's first Group 1 winner under the McEvoy Mitchell brand, and he was my first Group 1 winner in partnership with dad." - Calvin McEvoy
"For Luke to have the scare he did on Wednesday, and for Camille, his regular track rider, who unfortunately had a tumble off a young one this week, it’s just a big team effort and I'm just so thrilled.
"She has ridden him every day that he has been in work for the last few years. He's very special, When I got her off the ground when she fell this week, she looked in pain, and she said 'I'm not crying because of the pain, I'm crying because I can’t lead up Doc'."
Camille Piantoni
McEvoy said a second victory in the race was always the spring target with the burly 7-year-old, who had finished eighth in the G1 Moir S. and fourth in G2 Schillaci S. on the way into this race.
"He needed those couple of runs, He's an older and bigger horse now. Even on Tuesday morning, we brought him here and gave him a good piece of work. He was a bit casual in his work, but he had a bit of a puff, and we knew that would clean him up for this race. It’s great to have pulled it off," he said.
"There are not many horses that can win four Group 1s and it is a very special moment."
Currie's scare of his own
It was also a very special moment for Currie as well, who has spent a long part of 2020 sidelined through a neck injury and has been on board Hey Doc in all four of his top-flight successes.
"He's a beauty isn't he? He puts himself on the speed and he tried his heart out. He just brings it every time he comes to the races," he said.
Luke Currie aboard Hey Doc
The experienced hoop thought at one stage, he wouldn't be able to take the ride on the horse, after another McEvoy-trained runner, Xilong (Deep Field), flipped him over just two days ago.
"It was a bit of a worry, I landed on my head and neck in the exact same spot that I have just come back from. A lot of people helped by out this week at the hospital at Geelong, especially my physio Andrew Wilson. He keeps looking after me and he has got me to the races today," he said.
"At one stage, I didn't think I'd be back this quick for the other injury. I've been lucky to get the stable support from the McEvoys and everyone else and that has helped."
A one-time $85,000 buy from the Rosemount Stud draft the 2015 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, the son of now Aquis-based stallion Duporth was bred by Yarram-based cabinet maker Adrian Hall, who is among the big ownership in him. Hey Doc has now won over $3 million in prizemoney in a 28-start career which has yielded 10 wins.
