McDonald targets elusive LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship crown

Current Archive Media Guide Media Box Horse Racing Season James McDonald is one of world horse racing’s leading riders. Sydney-based James McDonald has compiled a massive list of elite victories and accolades, but one prize still missing is the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC).

McDonald is again in scintillating form as he returns to Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday, 9 December to battle it out with several of the world’s top jockeys for not only the glory of the title, but also the lion’s share of the lucrative prize pool. Rides for the 12 jockeys are allocated across the four races using a model designed to keep the contest even.

They accumulate points for the top three places (12 points for a win, six for second and four for third), with the winner getting HK$600,000; second receives HK$250,000 and third earns HK$150,000. McDonald will compete against Ryan Moore, William Buick, Saffie Osborne, Mickael Barzalona, Christophe Lemaire, Dylan Browne McMonagle, Joao Moreira, Rachel King and Zac Purton, as well as two further Hong Kong-based riders still to be confirmed.

McDonald first competed in the IJC in 2011 as a teenager and finished second behind the legendary Frankie Dettori, but he is still chasing the elusive crown after two more runner-up finishes. McDonald, who is currently second in the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey standings behind Moore, will be back for his 11th crack at the LONGINES IJC title.

“I am absolutely looking forward to going back and it’s the same story,” he said. “I say it every year that it might be my year, and we can only hope for a good draw. It’s brilliant (the horse allocation system) and I can’t complain there.

It’s a good competition.” James McDonald celebrates victory at Happy Valley. The world’s best jockeys are invited to compete, and McDonald said it’s an incredible line-up where they all want to shine on the night. “Everyone enjoys themselves and we get on pretty well.

It’s pretty cruisy,” McDonald said. “It’s brilliant, just a good ‘comp’; very competitive, good track and it’s tough to win. Just the circumference of the track makes it so unique.

It’s like a velodrome sort of circumference. “It’s a great city. Good racing and it’s so competitive, good horses and it’s just so well run.” Both the Hong Kong lifestyle and the racing at Sha Tin and Happy Valley are big attractions for McDonald, who loves the atmosphere both on and off the track.

“You would not get a better place in the world to race in terms of how competitive it is, how well run it is, and there is not a stone left unturned there,” he said. “Just good trainers, good jockeys and it’s just everything.” Returning to Hong Kong without a ride on his favourite horse, the recently retired superstar Romantic Warrior, will give McDonald a different feeling, but he remains grateful for the privilege of riding one of the world’s greatest racehorses.

Little Paradise is a seven-time winner in Hong Kong. While it’s a huge task to find a replacement, McDonald is looking forward to starting a new association with emerging star Little Paradise for Danny Shum, who also trained Romantic Warrior. “I know it’s going to be a lot different,” he said.

“Hopefully we have found another one with Little Paradise. He looks good and won a (Hong Kong) Classic Mile (1600m) by a couple of lengths, looking unbelievable and he just has to recapture that form and I’m sure Danny will do his best to do that.” McDonald will return to Hong Kong for his first ride on Little Paradise in the HK$5.35 million G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday, 22 November.

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