James McDonald will be out to add a Group One success in Hong Kong to his list of achievements when he partners Xtension in Sunday’s Champions Mile at Sha Tin.
New Zealand’s premier jockey, McDonald has been booked to partner the John Moore-trained Xtension in the feature race.
Xtension is the defending titleholder having won the 1600-metre feature with Darren Beadman aboard in 2011.
Australia will be represented in this year’s renewal by the Peter Moody-trained King’s Rose to be ridden by Luke Nolen.
McDonald has been based in Sydney in recent weeks and notched another career highlight on Doncaster Day at Randwick when he rode four winners, including his first Sydney Group One on Temple Of Boom in the Galaxy.
The 20-year-old has already had experience in Hong Kong where he finished second to Frankie Dettori in an international jockeys challenge at Happy Valley last December.
Before he heads to the Champions Mile meeting, McDonald has seven rides at Hawkesbury on Saturday including Bound To Blush in the Listed Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) and Miss Marx in the Listed Darley Crown (1300m), both for John O’Shea.
Sydney’s premier trainer Chris Waller has booked McDonald for Wazn in the Listed Rowley Mile (1600m) while the in-form Gai Waterhouse has secured his services for the first time to ride Reuben Percival in the Provincial Stayers Championship Final (2200m).
“I think he’s outstanding,” Waterhouse said of McDonald.
“I think that really he’s a very serious jockey in the making, probably the most exciting New Zealand jockey to come over since Shane Dye.”
