Group 1 winners Hey Doc, Sunlight could be heading overseas
Team McEvoy has global ambitions in store for Group 1 stars Hey Doc and Sunlight with Dubai, Hong Kong and Royal Ascot all in play for the talented pair.
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Tony and Calvin McEvoy are plotting an ambitious assault on global sprint features with the stable’s Group 1 stars Hey Doc and Sunlight.
Hey Doc could head to Dubai for the $2.8 million Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) on March 29 before returning via Hong Kong, subject to quarantine conditions.
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“We’re still in talks about Dubai,” Tony McEvoy said. “I’ve got to find out when we can get in and when we can get out in terms of the quarantine.
“We’re keen to go but I just need that information before we can make a decision.
“If it all worked out, we would then possibly head to Hong Kong for the big sprint (Chairman’s Sprint Prize) there in April.”
Winner of the Manikato Stakes and Australian Guineas, Hey Doc logged a third Group 1 in devastating fashion when he led all the way in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot last month.
McEvoy has mapped out a provisional program for the gelding, including the Australia Stakes and Canterbury Stakes before a possible international sortie.
“If Dubai works out, he would then head there and onto Hong Kong,” he said.
“After that, we’d look at The Everest (at Randwick in October).
Triple Group 1 winner Sunlight could head to Royal Ascot, depending on how she continues to recover from minor surgery.
The mare required an operation to remove two fragments of bone which had been loosened from her splint bone.
“I won’t make any plans until I’m absolutely certain she has fully recovered,” McEvoy said.
“She’s back in the stable but I’ll be keeping my hands off her for another three weeks.
“We’ll take our time with her and when she’s ready we can think about Royal Ascot.
“If she’s fully recovered, we’d be keen to go.”
McEvoy is uncertain how Sunlight suffered the injury.
“She could have hit herself on a post or she might have been kicked by her sister (Sisstar),” McEvoy said.
“I’ve seen plenty of horses with this condition and they recover well from it.”
Winner of the Coolmore Stakes, William Reid Stakes and Newmarket Handicap, Sunlight could be aimed at either the Kings Stand (1000m) or Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in June.
Several Australian speedsters could head abroad next year.
Among those under consideration for overseas assignments are Yes Yes Yes, Nature Strip, Brutal and Exceedance.
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POY WAITS ON DOCTOR
Gun apprentice Michael Poy’s hopes of capitalising on summer opportunities rest on a medical clearance.
Poy, 20, has amassed 150 winners since 2017, but was injured at the Valley on Saturday after parting company with unruly two-year-old debutant Always Chattin’ in the Antler Luggage Plate.
He sustained soft-tissue damage low on his left leg after being dumped after the start.
The lightweight was transferred to hospital, where he was cleared of fractures.
Poy will need to be cleared by doctors before resuming tomorrow at Warrnambool, where he has six mounts.
Fellow apprentice Thomas Stockdale was suspended for eight meetings for careless riding on winner Play Me Now at the Valley on Saturday.
It was Stockdale’s second eight-meeting penalty on successive Saturdays.
Liam Riordan was outed for 10 meetings for careless riding after Maserartie Bay shifted in on Knife’s Edge in the straight in race four. It was the apprentice’s fifth careless riding breach for the year.
MONDAY RACEBOOK
US HOOP’S WORLD RECORD
At 54, Mike Smith has few peers in terms of fitness and skill.
With an unmatched 26 Breeders Cup scalps, the champion American jockey has long been a titan of the sport.
And he now sits in a league of his own after notching a world record 217th Group 1 aboard Omaha Beach in the Malibu Stakes (1400m) at Santa Anita.
Smith started the meeting one Group 1 win behind Jerry Bailey’s all-time record tally.
He quickly drew level by winning the La Brea on Hard Not To Love before Omaha Beach gave the him one of the most effortless romp of his career.
“It's very humbling," Smith said. "I'm just a very blessed man.
“When you're blessed with the opportunities to ride for the great people I get to ride for, Mr Mandella (trainer Richard Manella), those kind of things happen."
OLLIE’S DANCE
Like Smith, Damien Oliver might be in the twilight of his career, but his steer on Tahitian Dancer to win the Listed Nudgee Stakes was a vintage reminder of undimmed talents.
Drawn in barrier 12 — one from the outside — Oliver gave Shane Nicholls’ mare every opportunity to settle in a familiar pattern before the pair steadily built momentum.
The betting ring confidence was reflected in Tahitian Dancer’s searing last 600m as she swept from last to win.
In the process, Oliver went around just one horse with a remarkably simple, calculated ride.
SADDLE FAIL
Saddling confusion appears to becoming a summer theme.
Just a week after Lindsay Park was fined for saddling the wrong horses with the wrong gear at Flemington, there was a bizarre mix up at Stony Creek.
Stewards said trainer Steve Pateman’s stable representative “failed to identify the horse they were saddling with the number cloth and therefore incorrectly placed the saddle and number cloth of Diamond Geyser trained by Belinda Simpson, on Fuse, which was in the adjoining saddling stall.”
Simpson’s stable representative also failed to “identify the horse they were saddling with the number cloth and therefore incorrectly placed the saddle and number cloth of Fuse, trained by Steven Pateman, on Diamond Geyser.”
Pateman and Simpson were each fined $500.
BACK ON TRACK
Fertility issues have ended Kementari’s stud career with the Godolphin sprinter now headed back to the race-track.
The Randwick Guineas winner has been gelded after his stud days ended because of fertility problems.
The talented, but enigmatic, galloper started stud duties in 2019 with a book of more than 150 mares.
But the Blue Army’s hopes the son of Lonhro would follow in the footsteps of his famous sire soon evaporated.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Racing Victoria’s hot weather policy has caused the abandonment of Monday’s Werribee meeting. The eight-race card was scheduled to kick off at 10.30am and is due to finish at 2pm.
But Racing Victoria decided to call off the meeting because of extreme conditions.
Echuca and Warrnambool (2.45pm start) will have the benefit of predicted cooler conditions on Tuesday before focus switches to Flemington on Wednesday.
Headquarters will stage the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) and the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m).
A sprinkling of meetings at Burrumbeet, Hanging Rock, Terang, Mornington and the picnic fixture at Merton provides multiple options for owners, trainers and jockeys.
Geelong stages the only meeting on Thursday before Friday meetings at Stawell (day) and Cranbourne (night).
Action switches to Caulfield and Wangaratta on Saturday with picnic meeting at Woolamai before a busy week is completed at Mornington and Warrnambool.