James McDonald snaps Osipenko’s winning drought in January Cup to bring up four winners in his return at Rosehill

James McDonald put on a masterclass at his first Saturday Sydney meeting in two months with four winners including the feature January Cup at Rosehill.

James McDonald makes it four winners for the day on Osipenko in the January Cup at Rosehill. Picture: Getty Images

James McDonald was in imperious form and raised the bat for a half century of city wins as he completed a four-timer on Osipenko at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

Osipenko, aided by the mastery of McDonald, snapped a losing streak that stretched nearly two years in the Listed $200,000 January Cup (2000m).

McDonald, who had scored earlier on Wodeton, Polyglot and Tajanis, then declared winning a seventh successive Sydney jockeys’ premiership is high on his list of ambitions for the 2024-25 season.

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“I want to win the premiership again but it is not going to be easy,’’ McDonald said.

“I’m going to be missing a fair chunk (of the Sydney season), which I don’t like, when I ride overseas and at the interstate carnivals.

“So, the next few months will be a test for me, body-wise. The travel takes a lot out of you so I will need to be very disciplined – and to stay out of the stewards room, too.’’

McDonald’s win on the Chris Waller-trained Osipenko took him to 51 wins for the season and opened up a 15-win lead over nearest rival Tim Clark.

But McDonald will be travelling overseas frequently this year and left for Hong Kong after the Rosehill meeting to ride Voyage Bubble in the Group 1 Stewards Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.

The champion jockey then travels from Hong Kong to Dubai where he will ride Romantic Warrior in trackwork ahead of the Group 1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan next Friday night.

McDonald’s confidence will be sky-high for his international forays after his four-win haul at Rosehill including a tactically perfect ride on topweight Osipenko ($3) to win the January Cup by 1¼ lengths from Converge ($9.50) with another Waller runner, Saltcoats ($2.30 favourite) three lengths away third.

Osipenko is back in the winner's circle after 643 days!

He takes out the Listed January Cup at Rosehill 🏆 - and that's @mcacajamez with four winners, and @cwallerracing with three 💪@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/JhI0LownfE

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 18, 2025

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Osipenko was the third leg of a treble for Waller after earlier wins with Wodeton and Tajanis but the champion trainer wasn’t on track to celebrate, leaving stable representative Charlie Duckworth to articulate McDonald’s genius.

“It’s seems effortless for him at times,’’ Duckworth said of McDonald.

“He’s incredibly balanced in the saddle and also he has that balance in his home life which is important.

“James can come to work every day with a clear mind and do what he has to do.’’

Osipenko had not won a race since the 2023 Frank Packer Plate and Duckworth admitted the gelding had “sort of lost his way” since showing considerable promise as a younger horse.

“He was competing at Group 1 level as a three-year-old and we thought he could win a Caulfield Guineas,’’ Duckworth said.

“But it’s taken a while to get him back to form and we have tried different things with him since having the horse gelded.

“We tried a couple of times to ride him up on the speed, get really aggressive with him and try to coax the best out of him but that didn’t work.

“Eventually, Chris decided to go back to basics, just leave him alone, took the head gear off and let him be a horse again and he’s enjoying his racing.’’

"He's back now!"

Hear from @CRDuckworth and @mcacajamez on Osipenko who won the January Cup at Rosehill 👇@cwallerracing | @aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/geJM9uVOvw

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 18, 2025

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Duckworth said there had been encouraging signs in recent starts that Osipenko was regaining his desire for racing including a narrow last start loss in the Summer Cup.

“Osipenko has been getting better every time this preparation,’’ Duckworth said.

“He’s been knuckling down and trying hard which we needed him to do because the talent has always been there.’’

Osipenko gave Waller his fourth January Cup after previous wins with Vilanova (2016), Permit (2014) and Moriarty (2013).

Saltcoats might not have beaten Osipenko but Duckworth admitted the favourite should have finished much closer to his stablemate.

“Unfortunately for Saltcoats, he got held up at vital stages,’’ Duckworth said.

“James was so clever in coming back at a vital time on Osipenko and getting off the fence which meant Kerrin (McEvoy) had to ride Saltcoats for luck and they didn’t get much of it.

“But Saltcoats still ran well. He is a nice horse who was up in grade today and going for three in a row which is hard to do particularly against a horse with Osipenko’s ability.’’

Originally published as James McDonald snaps Osipenko’s winning drought in January Cup to bring up four winners in his return at Rosehill