Racing for just the second time in 14 months following an injury enforced layoff, Hey Doc proved far too good, crossing to lead from a wide barrier and giving nothing else a chance, never threatened in the home straight and scoring comfortably.
It is the third Gr.1 win for Hey Doc and he has now won nine of his 23 races and earned connections $2.38 million.
He is the best winner sired to date from seven crops of racing age by Gr.1 BTC Cup winner Duporth (Red Ransom), who stands at Kooringal Stud in New South Wales, advertised at $8,800 in 2019.
Hey Doc has no inbreeding in his first five generations. His dam Heyington Honey won in Adelaide and the granddam Noble Glow (Jeune) won five times in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Hey Doc is the best winner by far in the immediate generations of his family, the third dam Rustic River a sister to Gr.3 Skyline Stakes winner Excel Pilot (Champion Pilot).
Hey Doc is the second and last foal of Heyington Honey, who died in 2015. The first foal Heather Honey (Congrats) won in Victoria last season.
Gr.1 WINTERBOTTOM STAKES, Ascot, 1200m, WFA 3yo+, 1st $A590,000, 2nd $A200,000, 3rd $A90,000
- HEY DOC (Aus) 6 g by Duporth (Aus) – Heyington Honey (Aus), by General Nediym (Aus). Bred by: Mr A Hall
- Vital Silver (Aus) 6 g by Wanted (Aus) – Vintage Silver (Aus), by Marooned (GB), Bred by: Heytesbury Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd
- Rock Magic (Aus) 10 g by Redoute’s Choice (Aus) – Rockabubble (Aus), by Bubble Gum Fellow (Jpn), Bred by: Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd & Planette Thoroughbred Trading
Margins: 2-1/2 l, neck.
Also ran: Trekking, Flirtini, Dubious, Viridine, Spirit Of Valor (USA), Stageman, Endless Drama (Ire), Misty Metal, Valour Road, Home Of The Brave (Ire), Malaguerra.