Duporth's Hey Doc Triumphs in Australian Guineas

Following the euphoric scenes as Luke Currie brought the Tony McEvoy-trained Hey Doc back to scale following his win in Saturday's $750,000 Group I Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, it must have been a bittersweet moment for the geldings breeder and part-owner Adrian Hall.

The story begins in 2001 when Noble Glow the grand dam of Hey Doc was sold to Bill Cockram for $33,000.

The daughter of Jeune paid her way by winning five and placing in three of her 22 starts.

Bill Cockram formed a syndicate to race her and when her career on the track was over he bought out the other shareholders and bred on with her.

Sent to General Nediym, Noble Glow produced a filly who was sold at the second session of the 2007 Inglis Premier Yearling sale for $125,000.

"I sold Heyington Honey through the Melbourne Premier sale as a yearling but retained a 33% share in the filly, Cockram said.

"Unfortunately her racing career was cut short due to knee problems but she was an extremely talented filly.

"Due to this I wanted to breed with her. I asked a mate of mine (Adrian Hall) if he would like to take a 50 percent share in her as a breeding proposition and he agreed.

"After visiting the Hunter Valley stallions and on her second mating we agreed that Duporth was a perfect mating for Heyington Honey".

The resultant foal was Hey Doc.

Hall purchased Cockram's interest in Heyington Honey but sadly Hall lost the mare not long after she visited Your Song.

"Adrian remains a shareholder of Hey Doc and I'm so pleased he has progressed into the horse we always wanted him to become," Cockram said.

Hall owns Heyington Honey's first foal, the Congrats (USA) filly Heather Honey who broke her maiden at Ballarat on January 25.

Hey Doc also came out of the second session of the Melbourne Premier Yearling sale with McEvoy Mitchell Racing outlaying $85,000.

What an investment that has been.

His overall record stands at 6 wins, 1 second and 2 thirds from 12 starts with earnings of $969,900.

Given the run of the race by Currie from an inside barrier Hey Doc accelerated impressively to hold the challenge of Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon (More Than Ready) by three-quarters of a length with the outsider Snitzson (Snitzel) back in third.

"He was a deserved favourite coming in and I couldn't be more proud of the horse and it's a thrill with all these guys to have my first Group I," McEvoy said.

"He has achieved what we set him out to achieve but three-year-olds really profile well in the Doncaster.

"We'll just let the dust settle but he could go to the George Ryder and the Doncaster but no decisions today."

Hey Doc becomes the first Group I winner for Red Ransom's Group I winning son Duporth, who switched from Kitchwin Hills to Jindera Park last year and stands at a fee of $6,600.