Chief Stipe Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 Jockey James McDonald, who was banned for 18 months for betting A$1,000 on Astern (Aus) (Medaglia d’Oro), a colt he rode in his maiden win for Godolphin, has returned to the saddle, reported Racing.com. His ban lasts until May 15, when he can officially resume riding in races, but McDonald’s ban has been downgraded to a suspension, allowing him to ride work in the mornings. Riding at Randwick on Tuesday morning, McDonald told Racing.com, “I rode 12, and there weren’t any slow ones to just get my eye in. I feel good now, but we will judge that tomorrow morning to see how I’m feeling then. The time away has gone very quickly to be honest. I spent some time in Europe, I went back home to New Zealand, I spent a fair bit of time in Melbourne with Katelyn [Mallyon] and I’ve been back in Sydney for about the last two months.” The former retained jockey for Godolphin has spent some time improving his fitness in advance of riding again, and he will be a free agent on May 15. Added McDonald, “I’ve put a bit of work in to the past six weeks, conditioning my body to get ready for today. I feel like I’m pretty fit, I’ve put in the hard yards but getting back on the horse is what will help me the most. I’ll be riding freelance, which is exciting for me. I was out at Randwick this morning; I’ll get to Rosehill and Warwick Farm. John O’Shea has been a big supporter, so too Chris Waller and a number of other trainers.” View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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