McEvoy committed to making stable a powerhouse after Guineas win
THE patient game for veteran trainer Tony McEvoy paid off on Saturday after race favourite Hey Doc took out the Australian Guineas in stylish fashion at Flemington.
Hey Doc – which returned $3.10 at Crownbet.com.au – handed Tony McEvoy his first group one crown since winning the Cox Plate back in 2004.
Hey Doc found the inside alley after a brilliant ride from Luke Currie and the horse did the rest, booting away in the latter stages to record a comfortable win and allay any fears that it could not run out the mile.
The jockey said he “knew” he has to take the inside running if Hey Doc was to hit the front at the right time.
“The run presented itself a little early but I knew I had to take it,” Currie said in the aftermath of the race.
“You don’t second guess in group ones and give the horse credit, he sprinted and kept it going right to the line.”
Hey Doc finished ahead of the fast-finishing Prized Icon, which handed punters back $2.80 at WilliamHill.com.au and Snitzson, which returned a huge $12.20 at Sportsbet.com.au.
McEvoy said Hey Doc – which was purchased as a yearling for $85,000 – has the potential to launch his stable into the upper echelons of Australian racing.
“In business, you build your brand and we did some solid building today,” McEvoy said.
“You need so much luck at this level and I haven’t had a heap of group one runners since I took over this business in 2010,” he said. “But to win one, it lets everyone know that your system is working well and you can present a horse at the top level.
“My two-year-olds have been doing all the talking. I’ve had very few older horses in my stable to be honest and that’s what we are building towards. That’s why I am buying a lot of yearlings and I want to build my team up.”
McEvoy likened putting together a stable of quality runners to piecing together a sporting organisation.
“Building a stable is like building a football team. It takes a long time,” the veteran trainer said.
“You’ve got to get your young stocks through, you’ve got to develop them and obviously they have to be good enough and then you bring more in behind and then keep restocking the shelves.
“So, it’s a big job and we’re committed to it.”