Refocussed McDonald returns to the saddle

[Chief Stipe]

• Mon, 02 Apr 2018
•  
• Dennis Ryan

James McDonald makes the first step back from disqualification riding trackwork at Randwick this morning.

James McDonald has experienced the highs and lows of racing, but when he returns from disqualification to ride trackwork at Randwick this morning, he’ll have just one thing on his mind.

The past two years have been a sobering time for the 26-year-old jockey, who left New Zealand as a champion to win two Sydney premierships complete with a contract with the global powerhouse Godolphin, only for it all to come crashing down.

A $1,000 bet on a Godolphin horse he rode to win in December 2015 came back to haunt him, with the upshot an 18-month disqualification that, despite appeals to Australia’s highest legal authorities, meant he was to spend 16 months in racing’s wilderness.

That is now all behind the gifted jockey. Last month Racing New South Wales cleared McDonald to resume trackwork and trial riding from April 3 as a six-week preparatory period for when his penalty ends on May 15.

With that now in sight, McDonald has one end-goal.

“I just want to get back to where I was,” he told www.theinformant.co.nz in a candid interview on the eve of his return. “Since getting the all-clear to start trackwork it’s been amazing the amount of support I’ve had from trainers and owners.

“I’ve been working out at the gym three or four days a week and doing other fitness work in between, so now it’s matter of getting back in the saddle.

“Not having ridden for so long I’ll probably be a cripple tomorrow night, but I’m ready for it, I’ve got a whole new focus.

“I’ll be riding trackwork every morning tjhis week and on Friday I’ll have my first trial rides. There are 14 heats at Rosehill and I expect to be riding in every one of them.

“Chris Waller is right behind me and it looks like I’ll be riding mainly for him at the trials, along with other trainers like Gai Waterhouse, John O’Shea and the Snowdens.

“I had thought about kicking off in New Zealand, just to get my eye in, but with the support I’ve had already it looks like it will be here in Sydney.”

It’s a big relief to McDonald that his weight has remained stable during his time on the sideline, currently walking at around 58 kilograms and expecting to be down to 56kg once he swings back into action.

“When I got stood down there was a lot of talk that it would be the end for me,” he said. “My weight has been a challenge – up to 60 kilos walking at one stage when I was last riding – but I’ve kept active and it’s great that I’ve got it under control.

“It’s good to know that when the time comes I’ll be able to get down to at least 54kg when I need to.”

McDonald admits that his time out has given him a fresh perspective, both in reflecting on the past and looking to the future.

“Why did I do it? Just stupidity, temptation, it was a mistake that I’ll always regret,” he says. “You learn from your mistakes though, and now I’ll be leaving no stone unturned to get back to where I was.

“I’m looking forward to riding freelance, that’s something I haven’t done in my time over here. My goal is to get back to where I was in the pecking order, back to number one, and I’ll be doing my best to do it as soon as possible.”

*The full interview with James McDonald will be published in the weekly edition of The Informant, on sale Thursday.

[JackM]

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