James McDonald

New Zealander James McDonald has won the 2024 Longines World's Best Jockey title with 160 points, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) announced on Wednesday. McDonald previously won the award in 2022. There was a margin of just 10 points back to Englishman Ryan Moore at 150. Moore, a four-time winner of the title, was clear of William Buick in third with 105 points. A ceremony will be held during a gala dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to...

Regular rider James McDonald has issued a positive bulletin on Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) ahead of his bid for a historic third consecutive win in the HK$40 million G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday, December 8. California Memory (Highest Honor {Fr}) is the only other dual winner of the Hong Kong Cup in 2011 and 2012, which means Romantic Warrior would be out on his own as the most successful horse in the race's history should he repeat his 2022 and 2023 triumphs at the...

Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and emerging sprint star Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) laid down their markers for the Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting in three weeks' time with arrogant victories in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup and G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin Racecourse, respectively. The second-named saw the 1200-metre course record, held for the last 17 years by the outstanding Sacred Kingdom (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}), come tumbling down in a sublime...

Reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), winner of five elite-level events in Australia, Hong Kong and Japan in 2023-2024, kicks off what promises to be an audacious season in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup over his pet distance of 2000 metres at Sha Tin Racecourse. A history-making winner of the G1 W S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley a little over a year ago, the Tattersalls October and Hong Kong International Sale graduate defended his title in the Longines Hong Kong Cup and...

A strong line up of jockeys have been announced for the 2024 Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday, Dec. 4. The four races are worth a combined HK$7.5-million (£740,000) in prize-money, and there is a total prize fund of HK$1 million in bonus money for the most successful riders split three ways, with the winner set to receive HK$600,000, with HK$250,000 for second and HK$150,000 for third (£60,000, £25,000, and £15,000, respectively). Vincent Ho, who won this contest in 2023, and seven-time Hong Kong Champion...

A plan was hatched by owner Peter Lau and trainer Danny Shum as early as last June to set their multiple champion Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) on a course towards the G1 W S Cox Plate in Melbourne some four months later. Having departed Hong Kong in mid-September, the gelding endured a sub-optimal period in quarantine at Werribee until the Australian government approved the shipment of his regular feed from Hong Kong to Victoria and Romantic Warrior was an underdone fourth in the G1 Turnbull S. at Caulfield Oct....

Peter Lau's Hong Kong raider Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) can put the wraps on one of the most remarkable seasons in recent memory should he be able to take out Sunday's G1 Yasuda Kinen Sunday afternoon at Tokyo Racecourse. The one-turn, 1600-metre contest serves as a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at California's Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in early November. Nails-tough in dropping his nose down on the wire first when second-up in the G1 W S Cox Plate in late October, the...

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who recently overcame a difficult trip and soggy underfoot conditions to win the G1 FWD QE II Cup (2000m) for the third consecutive year, will cut back to a mile for the June 2 G1 Yasuda Kinen at Tokyo Racecourse, trainer Danny Shum confirmed Friday. "He will go to Japan," Shum told the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Leo Schlink. "He will leave around the 21st of May," and the conditioner is of the opinion that Romantic Warrior's recovery from the QE II Cup merits the...

HONG KONG, CHINA -- With one Hong Kong legend on his way to retirement, Peter Lau's Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) took another step towards cementing his own legacy, becoming the first to take the G1 FWD QE II Cup on three occasions under a masterful steer from James McDonald. Three deep into the first turn from a high draw, Romantic Warrior was hung out to dry without cover before McDonald tapped on the brakes just enough to allow the 6-year-old to slot in on the back of Sword Point...

Ryan Moore, number one jockey for Coolmore in the Northern Hemisphere, has been booked to ride exciting Justify colt Storm Boy (Aus) in the upcoming G1 Golden Slipper on Mar. 23, Coolmore Australia announced on X early Thursday morning. Fellow unbeaten Coolmore-owned colt Switzerland (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), a winner of the G2 Todman S. on Mar. 9, will be the mount of James McDonald. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Storm Boy rattled off victories at Rosehill on debut in early December, followed by the G3 BJ McLachlan S....

Having endured a sub-optimal trip when only sixth to Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in defence of his crown in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup Jan. 26--not to mention some post-race veterinary issues--reigning champion sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) will look to atone for that effort in Sunday's G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, a race he also took out 12 months ago. The 5-year-old, victorious in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in December, was found to be lame in his right fore the morning after the Centenary...

Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) became just the third horse since the turn of the century to capture each of the four 2000-metre features in Hong Kong, as he outbattled fellow BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) in an epic renewal of the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday afternoon. The 6-year-old joins Vengeance of Rain (NZ) and Designs on Rome (Ire) as the only horses since 2000 to win the Derby, Gold Cup, G1 FWD QE II Cup and...