News

What's up Doc? A Group 1 win!

4th Mar 2017

As small-time breeder Adrian Hall proudly said last night; “it was the best $3500 I ever spent’’.

When Hall and his dad, Yarram trainer Brian, attended an Inglis Mixed Sale in Melbourne in 2010 to buy a couple of General Nediym mares, never in their wildest dreams did they think they would one day be celebrating a Group 1 winner out of one of them.

But that’s exactly what happened at Flemington today when Hey Doc (Duporth x Heyington Honey) scored a convincing victory in the Australian Guineas.

After paying $3500 for Heyington Honey, Adrian and Brian raced the mare “for nine months or so’’ before retiring her as a broodmare.

They kept her first foal, a Congrats filly named Heather Honey, which won a Ballarat Maiden at her most recent start.

For commercial reasons they put the second foal, a Duporth colt (now gelding) through the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale via the Rosemont Stud draft, where McEvoy Mitchell paid $85,000 for him.

Thankfully for Hall, he kept 10% and several other family members also bought in.

That horse is Hey Doc, now a Group 1 winner, the first Group 1 success for stallion, mare, breeder and owners.

“I can’t talk. I’ve got no voice left. Wow, what a thrill,’’ Hall, 41, said an hour after the race.

“This was our grand final and what a feeling. It’s amazing. I always thought he’d run a strong mile and he certainly did that and to get this win with so many family and friends here, it’s really hard to explain.’’

Hey Doc led in a trifecta of Inglis graduates in the Group 1 Australian Guineas, beating Prized Icon and Snitzson.

Rosemont’s Anthony Mithen predicted the celebrations would be long and strong after Hey Doc’s win.

“I’d say there’s quite a people in pubs in and around Geelong today raising a glass to that result,’’ Mithen said.

“Hey Doc was a sought after commodity at the sale because he was such an imposing sort and it’s just great to see a result like this for a small breeder like Adrian.

“We just put the final spit and polish on. Adrian and his crew presented the horse in a great manner so full congratulations must go to him and his team.’’

Meanwhile brilliant mare Heatherly will be aimed at the Group 1 The Galaxy before being offered for sale at the inaugural The Chairman’s Sale following her Listed Bob Hoysted win at Flemington today.

Heatherly (Lonhro x Dancing Heather) took her overall earnings to almost $600,000 with what was her third Stakes win – not bad for a $90,000 buy from the Broadwater Farm draft at the 2014 Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

To view the catalogue for the 2017 Easter Yearling Sale at Newmarket from April 4-6, CLICK HERE.

She is already a very valuable proposition and if she can add a Group 1 to her resume at Rosehill in a fortnight, she will no doubt be a headline act at Inglis’ The Chairman’s Sale Session II (Elite Breeding Prospects) at Newmarket on Friday night, April 7.

Entries for Session II of The Chairman’s Sale must close this coming Monday, March 6 at 10am.

To submit an entry, CLICK HERE.

Entries for the Australian Broodmare & Weanling Sale – the last ever sale at Newmarket which starts three days after Heatherly will be sold – also close this coming Monday March 6, at 5pm.

To submit an entry, CLICK HERE.

HEY DOC

Duporth x Heyington Honey

Sale: 2015 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale

Price: $85,000

Vendor: Rosemont Stud

Breeder: Adrian Hall

Group 1 win: Australian Guineas

Trainer: Tony McEvoy

Owners: Mrs AF Ramsay, AC Hall, Mrs PM George, MJ Davidson, Ms DM Mahoney, GS Tucker, JW & Mrs JF Higgins, MF & Mrs AJ James, BS Evans, Ms J Tynan, Mrs J Harvey, DP Smith, Mrs R Smith, Mrs SR Smith, PH Smith, GC Babich, Dr NJ Babich & Lucky Fifteen (Mgr: C Bracken).