McDonald hopes to be fit for Doomben Cup Day

Premiership winning jockey James McDonald hopes to be fit to ride at Saturday’s Doomben Cup Day meeting after injuring his knee at trackwork on Tuesday morning.

Jockey James McDonald is hoping to be fit to ride on Doomben Cup Day. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

Jockey James McDonald is hoping to be fit to ride on Doomben Cup Day. Photo by Race Horse Photos Australia.

McDonald was forced to forego rides at Warwick Farm today and Gosford on Thursday as he undergoes treatment to his hamstring ligament in his knee.

The in-form jockey has seven mounts at Doomben on Saturday which includes rides in both Group 1 races, Foreteller for Chris Waller in the $650,000 The Bundaberg Rum Doomben Cup (2000m) and Knoydart for John O’Shea in the $500,000 UBET BTC Cup (1200m).

McDonald is hoping the injured knee responds quickly to treatment so he can prove his fitness at the Randwick barrier trials on Friday before heading off to Brisbane.

“It’s sore at the moment and I can’t bend it properly,” McDonald told Racenet.

“I am booked in for physiotherapy over the next couple of days.

“Ideally I can have a blow-out at the trials on Friday but if I’m not right then I will just have to wait until Saturday.”

McDonald’s other Doomben rides for O’Shea are Sampeah in the Group 2 $175,000 Bollinger Champagne Classic (1200m) and Sarajevo in the Listed $100,000 IPG Connect Mick Dittman Plate (1200m).

The Sydney based Kiwi jockey has two rides for Sunshine Coast trainer Stuart Kendrick, Dhahab in the Listed $100,000 City Property Services Princess Stakes (2000m) and Neo in the Listed $100,000 James Boag’s Premium Members’ Handicap (1600m).

McDonald’s other ride on the day is Speediness for Caulfield trainer Colin Scott in the Group 3 $125,000 Darley BRC Sprint (1350m).

The leading Sydney rider has just come off a successful Sydney Autumn Carnival which produced five Group 1 winners for the glamour rider.

The Godolphin stable, under the care of O’Shea, provided three Group 1 winners McDonald with Contributer winning the $500,000 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm and the $500,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill and Hartnell taking out the $1.5m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill.

McDonald’s other two Autumn Carnival Group 1 winners were Cosmic Endeavour for Gai Waterhouse in the $500,000 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick and the Japanese galloper Real Impact in the $1m George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

The young jockey took out his first Sydney jockey’s premiership last season by two wins over Nash Rawiller with seventy-two winners and currently leads the 2014 – 2015 premiership table with eighty-one and a half wins, five and a half ahead of his nearest rival Hugh Bowman.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.