James McDonald

Hollie Doyle may be the roughest chance in the field of 12 for Wednesday evening's Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) at Hong Kong iconic 'city track' at Happy Valley Racecourse, but she'd be considering herself fortunate to take her chances at all. The 26-year-old, who returned an 'indifferent' COVID test upon her arrival from Japan, was given the green light to compete Tuesday after the chief medical officer for the Hong Kong Jockey Club confirmed that the original result was a 're-positive' case, per a release. "After careful clinical and...

New Zealand-born, but Australian-based jockey James McDonald easily outdistanced Ryan Moore to be named the Longines World's Best Jockey for 2022. McDonald will be honoured at a ceremony during the gala dinner for the Longines Hong Kong International Races Friday, Dec. 9, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races...

Further easing in the local COVID restrictions meant that the biggest crowd since January--better than 13,000 racegoers--took in Sunday's BOCHK Jockey Club meeting at Sha Tin in person and were they ever rewarded. Making their seasonal debuts and having a single prep towards next month's Longines Hong Kong International Races, both two-time defending Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) and last year's champion 4-year-old Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) were outstanding in taking out the G2 Jockey Club Mile and G2 Jockey Club Cup, respectively, while Lucky...

Nine of the finest jockeys representing six of the world's most important racing jurisdictions will take part in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) to be held at iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island Wednesday, Dec. 7. Making her third appearance in the IJC, having finished second in last year's event, is England's Hollie Doyle, who set a new record for wins by a female jockey in a British calendar year in last term. The 26-year-old has put together another fine season in 2022 and earned her first...

There was as much drama at the start of the G1 King's Stand S. as there was a lack of it at the end, where Nature Strip (Aus) (Nicconi {Aus}) and James McDonald emerged triumphant for Australia in a show of power to remind Royal Ascot what it had been missing. With the 15-8 favourite Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) blowing his chance at the start and Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) losing his rider there, the Australian maestro's biggest concern was the presence of the latter as he joined him...

European-based jockeys managed victories in three of the four races comprising Wednesday's Longines International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island, but consistency was rewarded when Zac Purton--out of luck on the evening--had the last laugh, placing in all four legs to take home the HK$500,000 (£48,558/€56,739) first prize. Currently atop the jockeys' premiership in Hong Kong, Purton was winning the IJC for a third time in five years, having taken it in 2017 and again 12 months ago. He joins Frankie Dettori and Douglas Whyte as...

Eight high-profile overseas jockeys will join four Hong Kong-based riders to compete for the HK$500,000 top prize in the Longines International Jockeys' Championship to be held at the iconic Happy Valley Racecourse on Hong Kong Island Wednesday, Dec. 8. Ryan Moore is set to jet in to make a 15th appearance at the IJC, having dead-heated for the spoils with John Murtagh and Christophe Lemaire in 2009 before winning the title outright 12 months hence. Moore, who has finished on the podium four times since his most recent victory, currently...