Jockey James McDonald has suspension slashed after appeal against ‘harsh’ three-week ban

Superstar Sydney jockey cannot stop riding winners, with his latest success coming away from the track after a three-week riding suspension he considered excessive was slashed on appeal.

Champion jockey James McDonald has successfully argued to reduce his three-week riding ban to just seven days on appeal.

McDonald was appealing the Racing NSW stewards penalty for his losing ride on Threeood at Royal Randwick two weeks ago.

Stewards found McDonald guilty of failing to “take all reasonable and permissible measures” to obtain the best possible place in the field with emphasis on the jockey’s effort in the final 100m of the race. Threeood started favourite and ran only ninth to Stella Sea Sun.

The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here!

But McDonald described the three-week suspension as “very harsh” and took his case to the Racing NSW Appeals Panel.

Although the appeals panel upheld the stewards decision, they reduced McDonald’s penalty to just seven days for what was described as an “error of judgment” from the jockey.

McDonald will start his penalty period after Saturday’s Randwick meeting and means he will miss the next two city meetings at Warwick Farm on July 8 and then Rosehill Gardens on July 11.

But McDonald, who has ridden trebles at the last two Sydney racedays, has another powerful book of rides at Randwick on Saturday as he looks to extend his lead in the Sydney jockey premiership.

James McDonald has ridden trebles at the last two Sydney racedays and has another strong book on Saturday.

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AT THE TRACK: J-MAC GRILLED OVER THREEOOD RIDE

McDonald, who has ridden 103.5 wins already this season and is 23.5 wins in front of nearest rival Nash Rawiller, partners favourites Chazelles (race 2) and Lashes (race 5) while his remaining seven rides are at single figure odds.

With only eight metropolitan meetings including Randwick today remaining this season, McDonald has a seemingly unassailable lead in his Sydney jockey premiership defence — even though he will miss Warwick Farm and Rosehill next week.

McDonald needs only one winner on Saturday to break his personal best of 104 Sydney wins set last season.

He is the first jockey to ride at least 100 winners in a season in consecutive years since Hall of Famer Darren Beadman achieved the feat in six years in a row culminating with his all-time record of 164 wins set in 2006-07.

James McDonald has become the first jockey to ride at least 100 winners in a season in consecutive years since Darren Beadman in 2006-07.

RACING DODGES COVID-19 SCARE

Racing in NSW breathed a sigh of relief as a potential COVID-19 scare had arisen when a leading Sydney jockey woke up with flu-like symptoms on Tuesday morning.

It meant all riders who rode at Saturday’s meeting at Rosehill had to stand down if they were lining up at Gosford.

A coronavirus test was performed in the morning and at 2pm news came through that the jockey in question tested negative.

Normal Racing NSW COVID-19 protocols will return for Wednesday’s Kensington meeting.

Stood down: Tommy Berry wins on Trumbull at Rosehill Gardens.

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COVID FALLOUT: BOSS SHIFTS FOCUS TO SYDNEY

Trainers were scrambling for late riding replacements at Gosford after Racing NSW stewards ordered Sydney-based riders Tommy Berry, Jason Collett, Tim Clark, Adam Hyeronimus, Robbie Dolan, James Innes, Sam Clipperton, Brenton Avdulla, Andrew Adkins and Rachel King not to ride at Tuesday’s provincial meeting.

Sidelined: Jason Collett pilots Frankely Awesome to victory in the W J Mckell Cup at Rosehill Gardens.

The Gosford meeting still went ahead and with most of the races having less than 10 starters finding replacements because of the jockey shortage wasn’t too difficult.

Randwick’s Kensington races on Wednesday would have been heavily impacted if all 10 Sydney jockeys were unable to ride as all were booked for the metropolitan midweek meeting.

Following a jockey in the metropolitan rider group showing flu like symptoms, the following jockeys from metropolitan riding group are not permitted to ride at Gosford today.

A Adkins
B Avdulla
T Clark
S Clipperton
J Collett
R Dolan
A Hyeronimus
J Innes
R King

Replacements TBA

— Racing NSW Stewards (@RNSWStewards) June 30, 2020

Sydney jockeys who rode at Rosehill last Saturday stood down from Gosford today - one rider showing flu-like symptoms, undergoing Covid-19 testing - more to come @superracing

— Ray Thomas (@RayThomas_1) June 30, 2020

Please find attached the rider replacements for Gosford today. @gosford_races @SkyRacingAU pic.twitter.com/KeIpinMC4e

— Racing NSW Stewards (@RNSWStewards) June 30, 2020