Champion jockey James McDonald is set for another lucrative stint in Hong Kong, arriving this week in career-best form for a seven-week riding campaign in the Asian racing hub.
McDonald heads offshore after closing out the Melbourne Cup Carnival with a dominant Group 1 victory aboard Via Sistina in the Champions Stakes, mirroring their back-to-back feature wins last spring that also included the W.S. Cox Plate.
A regular force in Hong Kong, McDonald will compete in the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on December 10, before partnering superstar Romantic Warrior in the HK$40 million LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin on December 14, where the champion will attempt a record fourth consecutive victory.
Although widely embraced by Australian racing fans, McDonald is New Zealand-born and will proudly represent his homeland in the IJC, where he will compete against some of the world’s leading riders including Ryan Moore, William Buick, Mickael Barzalona, Joao Moreira, Christophe Lemaire and Umberto Rispoli. Female jockeys Rachel King and Hollie Doyle also feature, alongside Hong Kong-based riders including Zac Purton.
McDonald said he is looking forward to the challenge and the chance to reunite with Romantic Warrior.
“It’s very good for my riding because there are such good riders there,” McDonald said. “It’s something to really look forward to and again it’s a great challenge because it’s so competitive and I always enjoy my time there.”
He added that Romantic Warrior appears on track following fetlock surgery in May.
“Better than okay, I would have thought,” he said. “He is flying and Danny (Shum) has done a fantastic job with him. I can’t wait, obviously.”
If Romantic Warrior were to win the Hong Kong Cup again, he would make history as the first horse to claim the race four times.
McDonald’s latest Cox Plate triumph with Via Sistina was his fourth win in the race, joining Hugh Bowman as the only jockeys to reach the milestone.
“It was an incredible feeling,” he said. “What would only trump it would be a fourth Hong Kong Cup, so I am hoping that happens.”
McDonald is no stranger to Hong Kong success, having swept all three legs of the Triple Crown earlier this year aboard Voyage Bubble — the Stewards’ Cup (1600m), Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), and Champions & Chater Cup (2400m).
With 122 Group 1 victories already to his name, further success in Hong Kong will move him closer to the tally of retired champion Damien Oliver.
If you’re planning to bet on the Cox Plate, Champions Stakes, or international Group 1 races, make sure to compare odds and offers via our Australian betting sites guide before placing your wager.
