It’s Day 2 of The Star Championships at Royal Randwick and its record setting James McDonald who is looking for riding honours in the highly competitive Nathan Berry Medal.
In winning the Heineken TJ Smith Stakes on Nature Strip for Chris Waller, James McDonald is the fastest rider to win 50 Group 1 triumphs in Australian, and has a healthy 24% win ratio.
In also winning the Inglis Sires’ on Day 1 for Godolphin and James Cummings on Anamoe, he also took out the PJ Bell Stakes, and has top-rides in all remaining Nathan Berry Medal events.
However, it’s the much-anticipated clash between the James McDonald mount Verry Elleegant as the $2.45 Sportsbet favourite, and Addeybb at $3 in the $4m Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
In Verry Ellleggant drawing gate 4 at the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes Barrier Draw that coincided with Bentley Trackwork with The Stars, its Addeybb who will be jumping from 2.
James McDonald and Verry Elleegant already have a victory over Addeybb in the last start Ranvet Stakes, and earlier combined to win the Chipping Norton Stakes for trainer Chris Waller.
Of course, last year Addeybb and Tom Marquand took had victories over Verry Elleegant in the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Ranvet Stakes, for Newmarket trainer William Haggas.
On returning to Britain Addeybb took out the Champion Stakes at Ascot, the Doonside Cup at Ayr, and previously finished second to Lord North in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Royal Ascot.
In winning the initial Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2014 on It’s A Dundeel, James McDonald leads with 90 wins in his fifth Sydney Champion Jockey title, having been twice NZ Champion.
James rides the $7.50 chance Southern France in the $2m Schewppes Sydney Cup of 3200m, and is on the Mark Newnhan trained Bargain at $12 in The Star Australian Oaks at 2400m.
In partnering the Godolphin mare Collette at $8 for the Moet & Chandon Queen of The Turf Stakes of 1600m, he will be on $3.80 chance Pandano in the Polytrack Provincial Championship Final.
Second for the Berry Medal is Kerrin McEvoy who won the Newhaven Park Country Championships on Art Cedeau, and is on the $31 chance Dalasan in the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
He’s riding $5.50 favourite Favorite Moon for William Haggas in the Schweppes Sydney Cup, and on the $2.50 favourite Probabeel in the Moet & Chandon Queen of The Turf Stakes of 1600m.
To claim his first Nathan Berry Medal, Kerrin McEvoy is on Vinery Stud Stakes winner Hungary Heart at $5 for The Star Australian Oaks, and Game of Thrones in the Polytrack Provincial Stakes.
Equal third for the Berry Medal is the record setting Jamie Kah, who became the first female jockey to win The Star Doncaster Mile when Cascadian scored by a ‘head’ for trainer James Cummings.
In now being the first female jockey to win a Group 1 race for Godolphin world-wide, Jamie has a 26-win lead in the Melbourne Jockeys title, having been three-times Adelaide champion.
Also equal third is former Irish jockey John Allen, who scored a thrilling victor in the Bentley 160th Australian Derby when Explosive Jack became the first horse to also win the Tasmanian Derby.
Tommy Berry is also third, and rides Mo’unga at $18 in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Nettoyer at $26 in the Queen of The Turf Stakes and $2.70 fav Great News in the Provincial Championship.
In shared the inaugural Nathan Berry Medal in 2014, as it was introduced by twin-brother Tommy Berry to pay tribute to the top jockey who passed away in April 2014.
In honouring Nathan Berry, who at 23 had ridden 351 winners when passing away, having three months earlier won the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Unencumbered for Bjorn Baker.
The Nathan Berry Medal point score is determined on a 3-2-1 basis across the 10 Group 1 races of The Championships, plus the finals of both the Country and Provincial Championships Finals.
