Hey Doc (Image: Racing Photos)
Tony McEvoy's 'pin-up' spring charge, Hey Doc, tuned up for the Listed Carlyon Stakes with a scintillating gallop at Moonee Valley on Monday morning.
The Valley is a track the dual Group 1 winner knows well, having won all three races he's contested there including last year's Manikato Stakes.
Taking to the track along with other spring hopefuls, Hey Doc recorded the quickest 800-metre gallop of the morning working by himself, leaving a big smile on his trainer's face.
"Hey Doc cruised around really strongly and I was much happier with his work today, he pulled up clean and is ready to go," McEvoy told Racing.com ahead of Saturday's race.
"At Sandown the other day when I galloped him in between races he was very naughty, he wanted to over-do it and was a bit fresh … he pulled up stuffy because he didn't breathe well and he did it all wrong.
"I said to Luke [Currie] 'Let the cobwebs get out of him today'.
"It's nice to have him back, he's probably my pin-up horse for the stable having won two Group 1s for us.
"This spring his aim is the Manikato Stakes again."
The five-year-old son of Duporth only had a light autumn after suffering an injury setback but his Angaston-based trainer believes he is now going just as well, if not better, than this time last year when he won first-up in the Aurie's Star Handicap.
"He had a long time off with these pectoral muscles [injury] and he's 570kg now but I've really been struggling to get the weight off the big boy, he's a big, heavy horse," McEvoy explained.
"He'll show improvement out of Saturday's run but he has done plenty and he's pulled up well enough this morning to win a 1000-metre race."
Three-year-old fillies Kinky Boom and Belzella worked together at The Valley as both are set to tackle the open fillies 1200-metre race on Saturday.
"I have to say I was really impressed with Kinky Boom this morning," McEvoy said.
"Physically, the way she has come on [since running first-up at Sandown], she really took my eye how she's progressed.
"I thought she was quite confident here at The Valley, Luke said she felt great and quickened up really nicely.
"Belzella had no luck here at The Valley the other day, and I think there is very little between Kinky Boom and Belzella.
"I think Belzella is more suited to the 1200m whereas Kinky Boom is suggesting to me that a mile is what she needs."
McEvoy also confirmed his Memsie Stakes plans for last Saturday's Spring Stakes winner Dollar For Dollar.
"It's an aggressive placement but I ran him in the C.F. Orr Stakes last prep and he got beat just over a length and didn't have a lot of favours in the straight," he said.
"To see him return [the way he did] on Saturday, that will bring him on leaps and bounds and he's run very well at Caulfield over the 1400m so I'm looking forward to getting him over here."