Matt Williams and Ben Dorries column: James McDonald ‘one of the best sportsmen on the planet’

Matty and Benny chat about the dodgy Queensland tracks, the Group 1 status of races including the Stradbroke and The Everest, the Darren Weir case, the legend of J-Mac, and they look towards Queensland Oaks Day.

Every Thursday, News Corp Australia’s national racing editor Matt Williams and senior racing writer Ben Dorries chat all things horse racing.

Matty (left) and Benny (right).

MW: Benny, it’s mainly been baked beans for me this week. Hezashocka did the right thing, but Autumn Angel cost me again, and Bella Nipotina just got rolled in the Kingsford Smith. Seriously, though, what’s going on with the tracks up there? Of the 27 placegetters at Eagle Farm last week, 14 were at double-figure odds, and some were at cricket score odds. A lot of horses either ran well below or well above market expectations, and there were some huge margins in races, which you’d expect on a Heavy 10, not a Soft 6. It makes me wonder if the form can be trusted because a lot of horses didn’t handle it. What can punters expect at Eagle Farm on Saturday?

BD: It’s been a week of fine weather this week – with more sunshine on the way – so the track should firm up for sure for Saturday’s Oaks card. There have been some issues, caused mainly by having an incredibly wet Brisbane summer. For instance, the luxurious backyard of my palatial riverside mansion remains half underwater. Not even my experienced garden staff have been able to fix it.

* 10 years since Tim’s Group 1: ‘He could have been the next Glen Boss’

I Wish I Win exacts revenge on Bella Nipotina in the Kingsford Smith Cup.

MW: Our colleague Richie Callander sparked some controversy in his Racenet column on Tuesday saying Group 1 status should be taken off the Stradbroke because of a clause which allows a golden ticket owner to sell their spot in the race. In regards to The Everest, I couldn’t give two hoots it’s not a Group 1 race. It doesn’t take anything away from the race or the event. What would adding Group 1 status mean to rank and file punters? Zero. Everyone knows it’s the highest-rated sprint race in the world. If it gets Group 1 status one day, great, but for now it’s play on until the decision makers stop acting like children.

BD: I’m looking forward to Richie turning his mind to which Sydney Group 1s should be scrubbed from the NSW racing calendar. I hope that’s part two next Tuesday? Having a golden ticket/trade status for a Stradbroke spot will enhance the race in most years. If the winner of The Gateway wants to trade that horse for another horse, it only improves the standard of the Straddy. It will also uplift betting turnover. Tony Gollan’s galloper Freedom Rally, the horse that had been mooted to be traded into a Stradbroke spot (but may end up getting a Straddy spot anyway), is $11 in Stradbroke betting and one of the fancies after a terrific fourth in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday. Dream Hour, the Gateway winner, is $101 in betting. And probably should be $1001. Also, isn’t racing meant to be about entertainment – and funded by wagering turnover? I think I know what horse 99.9 per cent of punters would like to see in the Straddy. Not the horse at a gazillion to one. It sure as hell doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be a Group 1.

* Cox Plate-winning jockey booked for Stradbroke fancy

Darren Weir (left) with his legal team on Monday.

MW: It was interesting listening to the Darren Weir case on Monday, hearing lawyers battle it out at the Victorian Racing Tribunal. I don’t know what penalty Weir will cop from the jigger use charges, but he’s already done four years for possession, and stewards want at least another 10 years. I can’t see him getting anywhere near another 10 years, but it’s obvious that Victorian racing authorities never want Weir to train in his own right ever again. It seems he’s doing an excellent job with his pre-training facility. It’s a unique case with a lot of factors to consider.

* Tips, runner-by runner analysis: Queensland Oaks

BD: I’ve got mixed feelings. You shouldn’t be tried twice on the same issue. But there seem to be some Weir sycophants around the country who now speak of him almost in the same terms as Mother Teresa. Give me a spell. One thing I’d say is racing has marched on without Weir. Plenty said when he was rubbed out that he wouldn’t be replaced. But look at the uplift of Ciaron Maher and others around the country. No one’s bigger than racing.

MW: The legend of James McDonald keeps growing. His win on Romantic Warrior in Japan not only showed how good a horse he is (yeah, yeah, I said he had no chance in the Cox Plate), but how good a jockey J-Mac is. He can win on any horse, anywhere in the world, at the highest level. He’s the elite of the elite. Aged only 32, he’s not only probably the best jockey in the world, but one of the best sportsmen on the planet. He should be a household name in Australia, but racing does very little to promote its superstars.

* In Secret confirmed for Godolphin in The Everest

Sound 🆙

How good is this!?

Nothing but love and admiration for @mcacajamez and Romantic Warrior from the fans at Tokyo Racecourse after they triumphed in the Yasuda Kinen. 👏 @sakukeiba_1582 🎥pic.twitter.com/f1t2sCYilX

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) June 3, 2024

BD: My knowledge of Japanese form, and Hong Kong form for that matter, is up there with my ability to cook a gourmet meal like Duck l’orange for my lovely wife. But I’ve watched the replay of J-Mac’s win in Japan many times and I’m certain that if he didn’t give Romantic Warrior the A-grade peach of a ride he did, the horse wouldn’t have won. It was remarkable. I loved his exuberance and raw passion crossing the line.

MW: Chris Waller has a stranglehold on the Queensland Oaks. I love Scarlet Oak ($3.30), but at the odds Mare Of Mt Buller ($9) looks a better bet. She was great behind Scarlet Oak last time, she’s extremely fit and has drawn a better barrier than the favourite. She’s had a perfect preparation for the 2200m. She’s been quietly flying under the radar.

* Mare to help Sokolski climb Qld Derby-Oaks mountain

Scarlet Oak (right) beats Mare Of Mt Buller (left) in The Roses.

BD: There must be a blue moon because I 1000 per cent agree. I’ve been following this Buller girl for months, and backed her at decent odds in the Oaks a while back. I reckon she’ll shorten from her current price on race day. Scarlet Oak is the lay of the day. She did enough to get the job done last time, way up in class, but she’s very lightly-framed and I wonder whether this has all come a bit too quickly. A spring star maybe, but happy to take her on in the Oaks.

* ‘She’s going to be right there’: Shinn eyes Qld Group 1 hat-trick

MW: Wategos is just about the bet of the day in the Spear Chief around $4. He was dominant last start and while he’s up in grade, he drops 6½kg and has drawn a perfect barrier. If Moravia ($7) can find a nice spot from a wide barrier, he’ll be awfully hard to beat in the Queensland Day Stakes. He’s very well in under the set weights conditions. Kiwi La Crique ($2.30) looks close to a moral in the Magic Millions National Classic.

BD: Stradbroke Handicap week is almost on us and it’s one of my favourite weeks of the year. It’s way too early to declare anything, but at this stage I like the look of a trio of horses. Three-year-old filly Stefi Magnetica is a massive chance with a featherweight. Forget she ran the other day when stuck on the inside slow lanes. And the two ‘A’s’ – Antino and Amenable – are serious players. If it’s wet, it brings Bella Nipotina into the mix as well. So that’s four. Bring on Straddy week.

Originally published as Matt Williams and Ben Dorries column: James McDonald ‘one of the best sportsmen on the planet’