Jump to content
NOTICE TO BOAY'ers: Major Update Coming ×
Bit Of A Yarn

Welcome Back James MacD


JasonMc

Recommended Posts

James McDonald has six chances to restart career on a high

16 May, 2018 5:00am

By: Michael Guerin

Champion Kiwi jockey James McDonald makes his much-anticipated comeback to racing today and punters are backing him to make a winning return early in the day.

The Australian TAB has a special 'Mac's back' market and the star jockey is rated a $2.50 chance to ride two or more winners at Warwick Farm in Sydney.

"That's not bad considering he's got rides in six races," Glenn Munsie from the Australian TAB told the Daily Telegraph.

McDonald's a $10 chance to ride three or more winners and if he's to make it a very good return and ride four or more winners, that will pay $51.

McDonald, who served an 18-month suspension for illegally placing $1000 on a horse he was riding in a race, is primed to start off on a winning note in the first event, with the Chris Waller-trained Cormac a $1.75 fixed odds chance with the TAB.

All five of his other rides are set to start in single figure odds, with Press Box in the second race being his next best chance at $2.60 fixed.

Tinkermosa is at $6, last start winner Stryke Rock is at $10, Monasterio is a $9.50 hope and Kitteau is battling it out for favouritism in the last as a $6.50 chance.

"Don't be surprised if his runners start even shorter," Munsie said.

"It's important for him to start off well. He wants to get his name back out there as quickly as he can.

"The rank and file punters will want to be on him. They know he'll be desperate to ride winners. It's no good coming back and punching out 50/1 horses. He needs to ride winners straight away.

"It's a tip in itself, some of the horses he's riding. He's not coming back to ride average horses. He's had a number of weeks to make sure he kicks off with a bang."

The 26-year-old, who has already won the Sydney jockeys' premiership twice in 2013-14 and 2015-16, has teamed up with Sydney's most powerful trainer Waller to ride four of his horses.

He also rides John Sargent's Tinkermosa, who is having her lead-up run to the Queensland Oaks, and Sargent is keen for McDonald to get a win on her so he follows her up north.

"With Hughie not here and racing in Japan, Chris Waller has used him as his go-to man straight off, so the Kiwis are sticking together," Munsie said.

"He's got rides on horses that are going to be very hard to beat.

"Most trainers would have the attitude that he's young and deserves a second chance."

McDonald's comeback will be welcomed on both sides of the Tasman, not only by punters but also within the industry, as the young jockey was immensely popular before his shock suspension.

While he took unsuccessful legal action to appeal the suspension, he has never publicly complained about the sentence and has stated he would rather look forward now he is back in the the saddle than concentrate on the past.

"While it was unfortunate circumstances, I have learned my lesson and the time away has been good for me mentally and physically, with my weight having really stabilised," says McDonald.

"So I am looking forward, rather than worrying about the past."

  • Like 3
  • Champ Post 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Racing: Mac attack returns in style

17 May, 2018 5:00am
 3 minutes to read
Kiwi comeback kid James McDonald rides Cormac to victory at Warwick Farm yesterday. Photo / Bradley Photography
Kiwi comeback kid James McDonald rides Cormac to victory at Warwick Farm yesterday. Photo / Bradley Photography
Other
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Even in the darkest moments of James McDonald's enforced 18 months away from racing, he probably didn't dream his comeback could be this perfect.

But at Warwick Farm in Sydney yesterday New Zealand racing's favourite son took less than 90 seconds to remind everybody just how special he is.

Having his first ride back after his disqualification from the saddle for a minor betting offence, McDonald got the best out of favourite Cormac to win a desperate finish.

Punters were thrilled, champion trainer and fellow Kiwi Chris Waller was happy and the win put a smile on the face of industry participants Australasia-wide.

McDonald was happy, but stuffed.

"My legs are a bit jelly — I didn't need a tight finish to start off the day," McDonald told Sky Channel.

"He found the line really well — I think those two horses came away from the field, and he toughed it out the best."  He added: "It's been well-documented over the last week how I've matured. Hopefully this is the start of bigger and better things.

"I want to move on, and hopefully this is a good starting point.

"My family made the trip over from New Zealand, and my girlfriend Katelyn [Mallyon] is here, and my best mate Toddy so it's really good."

McDonald added to his spectacular return by winning another race later in the programme with Monasterio and with a couple of placings as well it was as good a day as he could have dreamed of, especially in the ultra competitive Sydney racing scene.

He rides there again on Saturday but has already confirmed to head to Brisbane for the bigger days of the winter carnival there, meaning he will be back in the heat of group one action in a matter of days rather than weeks.

But with one big difference.

When McDonald was disqualified for tipping a punter a winning horse who then placed $1000 on for McDonald to profit from, he was a retained rider for powerhouse Godolphin.

He has returned freelance and it would appear his timing could hardly be better.

Although it will mean less financial security, it also means the former Cambridge jockey can choose which horses he rides for which trainers, with all the main players in Sydney looking for his services.

Waller's stable is obviously the most powerful in Sydney — he won five of the seven races at yesterday's otherwise normal midweek meeting — and he has long been an unabashed fan of McDonald but has Hugh Bowman as his main jockey.

But Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth said they were thrilled to be using McDonald's services again after yesterday's comeback win.

"Obviously it was great for James to win on his first ride back," Duckworth said. "It's great to have him back riding for us. It's good for everyone involved."

McDonald could quickly be back at the top of the Australian riding ranks and possibly even better than before he was sidelined.

He has spoken openly about his goal to win the Sydney premiership next season while the Melbourne Cup is still one of his racing dreams.

And as he showed yesterday, McDonald's dreams often come true.

- additional reporting, Racing.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...