Doc on night call in Moir Stakes

TRIPLE Group 1 winner Hey Doc hasn’t raced over 1000m in two years but his record at The Valley will help him in Friday night’s Moir Stakes.

Hey Doc finished fifth carrying 60kg at his last run over 1000m in August 2018. That run was two starts before he spent more than a year off the scene through injury.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained sprinter capped his comeback with a win in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes in Perth last November but hasn’t competed since a fair effort in the C.F. Orr Stakes in February.

The seven-year-old has raced five times at The Valley for three wins, including in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes in 2017. But his only win over 1000m was on debut in January 2016.

Jockey Luke Currie said the 1000m wasn’t ideal for Hey Doc but his class would take him a long way.

“I would think his aim would be more a Manikato Stakes than a first-up Moir (Stakes),” Currie said.

“The 1000m first-up is probably going to be a bit short for him but there’s no doubt he can run well. He’s a quality horse, so you never say never with a horse like him.”

Currie rode Hey Doc in a gallop at The Valley on Monday morning.

He said the gelding wasn’t out to break records in the hitout but Hey Doc showed he was in good order for his latest spring campaign.

“I didn’t think he was overly fast,” Currie said.

“He didn’t feel to me that he was overly fast compared to what he can run. But he felt quite happy and relaxed to me and he worked solo because he can get competitive and do too much when he’s with a mate.

“He’s still pretty big in condition but he’s got to be fresh and quick for a 1000m race, too.”

Ladbrokes haven’t completely discounted Hey Doc as a winning chance on Friday night, posting him at $13. WA mare Fabergino is $4 favourite, ahead of Adelaide Group 1 winner Bella Vella at $6.