James McDonald’s anticipated visit to Western Australia has reaped immediate dividends with his first ever ride at Ascot racecourse yielding a winner.
Here to ride race favourite Cascadian in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes, James McDonald got his first look at the track when partnering Street Parade in the Furphy Plate (1000m).
It was a clinical success with Longines World’s Best Jockey for 2022 finding the front and enjoying a soft lead before kicking clear for a two-length success.
“Nice horse to start off on,” McDonald said
“He’s a nice on pace horse and he tries his little heart out. He’s not very big, but he thinks he’s six foot four and bulletproof. He’s a lovely horse and he got the job done terrifically well.
“It’s special. I’ve never been to Perth before in my life and to have two really good chances on such a big day, I would love to get the next one (Cascadian – Northerly Stakes).”
Crowned Longines World’s Best Jockey for 2022, James McDonald’s presence across Ascot’s Northerly Stakes program provide the meeting with some additional star power, something not lost on winning trainer Russell Stewart.
“I’d like to thank that superstar that just rode my horse – what a great rider,” Stewart said.
“There’s three things in life that were good for me. The first one was marrying my wife, the second was my two kids and now third is JMac riding for me. I’m going to take this for me forever. It’s so humbling.”
McDonald’s main engagement for the day is partnering the favourite Cascadian in the $1.5million Group 1 Northerly Stakes.
Whilst there is no doubting the dual Group 1 winner’s class, there are reservations surrounding the seven-year-old and how the track is playing early in the card.
“It’s firm,” McDonald said.
“I reckon it’s going to be very hard to make up ground.
“Off what I felt, they’re going to really skip away and be really difficult to peg back.
“He’s (Cascadian) a very classy animal. He tries his heart out, but on pace [bias] scares me a little bit if it is like that and off the feel I got then it definitely is.
“He’s going to have to be very good today – but he is a very good horse.”
