‘Pressure is a privilege’: Jockey James McDonald enjoying his chase for a 100th Group 1 winner

Champion jockey James McDonald is set to create racing history as the fastest to ride 100 Group 1 winners at Royal Randwick on Saturday. But if he was feeling the pressure, you’d never know it.

Ray Thomas

9 min read

October 3, 2024 - 12:00PM

2024 Epsom, Flight Stakes & Metropolitan Tips & Preview

Champion jockey James McDonald is set to create racing history as the fastest to ride 100 Group 1 winners at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

McDonald needs only one major winner to bring up the milestone and become just the fifth jockey to achieve the feat.

Damien Oliver retired from race riding last December with the all-time record of 129 Group 1 wins, three more than George Moore.

• BET LIKE A PRO: Get expert tips from Racenet’s team of professional punters – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – in our all-new Pro Tips section. In the past 28 days, our tipsters are returning a profit of $2189 per $10 unit bet. Start winning – subscribe now!

The only other jockeys to ride a century or more Group 1 winners are Hugh Bowman (106) and Jim Cassidy (104) and all four are in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

McDonald, who will certainly be awarded Hall of Fame honours in time, has two chances at the Randwick meeting to join that elite quartet of jockeys in the “100 Group 1 Club” when he partners hot favourite Autumn Glow ($1.50) in the $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m) and Kovalica ($6) in the $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m).

• Clinton Payne’s Flight Stakes tips, runner-by-runner form assessment

“I’m aware of the 100 Group 1 wins but it is not something that is at the forefront of my mind to be honest,’’ McDonald admitted.

“I understand it means something but 129 Group 1 wins is more important to me than 100 Group 1 wins.’’

McDonald has his heart and mind set on breaking Oliver’s all-time record – but more about that later.

Remarkably, the jockey they call “J-Mac” is still only 32 years of age and his achievements in the saddle are rewriting Australian racing’s record books.

It’s generally accepted that jockeys are at the peak of their careers between the ages of 35-45 but it’s hard to imagine McDonald could get much better.

He’s dominating Australian racing like few jockeys have in the modern era. Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller was moved to compare the jockey’s sustained excellence to the great Darren Beadman when he was at the peak of his celebrated riding career.

THE EARLY DAYS

A young James McDonald surveys his competition at Doomben in 2011. Picture: File

McDonald is so good, it is difficult to imagine he has ever struggled as a jockey. After all, he was riding Group 1 winners in New Zealand when he was just 16 years of age.

But there was a period of his career when even J-Mac was doubting himself.

The story goes that master trainer John O’Shea was one of the first to notice McDonald’s emerging talents and enticed a shy teenager from New Zealand to ride at a Sydney Saturday racing during the winter months of 2011.

“James rode three winners that day, including one for us, and I remember going home that night and saying to my wife he is even better than I think he is,’’ O’Shea said.

“Then we got James to come back for a few weeks over summer to ride in Sydney and I remember he was very homesick.

“We had gone to Canada for Christmas and a couple of my owners brought it to my attention that he had 50 rides for me and had not ridden a winner.

“But I was adamant I wanted to persevere with James because I really believed in him.

“He was so young and the transition to Sydney is never easy but he got himself organised, started to get going and the rest is history.’’

In the 2013-14 racing season, McDonald, at just 22, won his first Sydney jockeys premiership and became number one ride for the all-powerful Godolphin stable. His star had soared into the stratosphere.

O’Shea was training for Godolphin during this period and often reflects on how McDonald was able to compete so well in the cauldron of Sydney racing at such a young age.

“It was tremendous how well James managed given the enormity of the role at Godolphin and how young he was,’’ O’Shea said.

“But he has this innate natural ability and that is why I never give him riding instructions. I always want him to ride what he feels and to trust his ability.

“I also like my sportsmen to be technically sound, whether that be cricket, rugby league or with jockeys and James has an amazing technique, he’s so balanced and can use the whip in his left and right hands.’’

McDonald has now won eight Sydney premierships, the last six in succession, and after two months of the new season, he’s made a strong start to his title defence with 35 winners to lead his nearest rival by 21 wins.

THE PRESSURE

James McDonald celebrates his Group 1 Golden Rose victory aboard Broadsiding at Rosehill last Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

There are times when McDonald seems impervious to pressure. Take his winning ride on favourite Broadsiding in the Golden Rose last week.

Broadsiding drew barrier one and was in an awkward position at the 600m midfield and locked away on the rails. By the top of the straight, McDonald had the colt out in the centre of the track in clear galloping room and about to unleash a winning surge. The jockey makes it look so easy.

But McDonald is used to pressure. He rides with it every race. Most of his mounts are favourite or challenging for favouritism, whether the horse’s form warrants such a lofty betting market rating or not. That’s the “J-Mac Tax”.

So, we asked the champion jockey how he copes with the pressure and scrutiny on him every race day. His answer was illuminating.

“Pressure is a privilege,” McDonald said.

Broadsiding! The @godolphin colt becomes the first horse to win the G1 Golden Rose first-up and he is now a three-time G1 winner. That's a third Golden Rose for @mcacajamez ðŸ”µðŸ”µðŸ”µ pic.twitter.com/lOM6NAi36Z
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 28, 2024

• ‘Getting better all the time’: Schofield confident in Epsom fancy

The jockey then revealed he has adopted the mantra of Australia’s champion swimmers like gold medallists Ariarne Titmus, Kaylee McKeown and Cam McEvoy who repeated the phrase often during the Olympic Games in Paris earlier this year.

“When I heard the swimmers say ‘pressure is a privilege’ during the Olympics it really caught my attention and I haven’t forgotten it,’’ McDonald said.

“I am really big into these sayings. I live by these mottos.

“As the swimmers spoke about pressure being a privilege it resonated with me.

“It relates to the situation I am in and the pressure of riding all these unbelievably good horses and not getting overwhelmed by it.

“At the end of the day it is an absolute privilege that I don’t take for granted and I am lucky to be in this position.’’

Perhaps, reciting these sayings is a coping mechanism for McDonald given the constant pressure he is under but as the jockey says; “Little things like this work for me.’’

With experience and maturity, McDonald has come to recognise how easily the moment can get to a sports person.

The champion jockey has learned coping with the pressure goes a long way to maximising performance.

“I’ve learned to embrace pressure and to enjoy the situation,’’ McDonald said.

“I still get nervous before a big race, I still get excited, but when I get legged on the horse I want to enjoy the moment.’’

McDonald said the experience of riding champions Anamoe and Hong Kong’s Romantic Warrior in recent years has been “a big help to me”.

“I’ve taken notice of how much the crowds love Anamoe and Romantic Warrior,’’ he said.

“Obviously, I’m the man on top riding these champions and I know it’s a privilege to be in this position.’’

A STAR IS BORN

James McDonald rides Autumn Glow to victory in the Tea Rose Stakes at Randwick on September 21. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images

Autumn Glow has only been to the races three times for three consummate wins. It’s too early to use the “c” word about the exciting three-year-old filly but she looks a special talent.

McDonald and Waller are chasing their third Flight Stakes win with Autumn Glow after they combined for their previous successes with Zougotcha (2022) and Funstar (2019).

The jockey is aware rival riders will be looking to make it difficult for Autumn Glow on Saturday.

“Preparation is the key,’’ he said. “If you prepare for that ride and that race then you have confidence in what you are doing.’’

This prompted McDonald to reveal another of the sayings he finds himself referring to repeatedly: “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.’’

McDonald rode Autumn Glow in trackwork earlier this week and said the undefeated filly has done everything right in her preparation since that easy Tea Rose Stakes win last start.

“Autumn Glow is quality, a really, really nice filly,’’ McDonald said.

“The 1600m of this race should be in her sweet spot. What can I say about her, she is just ….different!”

Three from three for Autumn Glow!

On to the Flight Stakes for the unbeaten @cwallerracing filly after a dominant performance in the Group 2 @DarleyStallions Tea Rose at Randwick, beating Snow In May and Manaal. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/eN3ZntqjKh
— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) September 21, 2024

• Giga Kick to take aim at another The Everest title

Waller’s all-time great Winx wasn’t mature enough to win the Flight Stakes a decade ago, chasing home First Seal in the fillies classic, but the trainer is cautiously optimistic rising star Autumn Glow can achieve the rare feat of graduating to Group 1 success in her debut racing preparation.

Autumn Glow had shown ability during her juvenile season but Waller resisted the temptation to send the filly to the races and waited until August at a Saturday meeting at Rosehill, where she won easily.

“Her first-up run, there was a bit of pressure so I guess we were caught up in the moment and used some special words, because she is a gifted horse and she has got an amazing demeanour,’’ Waller enthused.

“We’re looking forward to getting her out to a mile and her three wins have been very good.

“It was interesting that last start James McDonald – that was the first time he had ridden her (in a race) – and he said, ‘she has got an amazing stride’.

“She’s got good athleticism, great temperament and lots of ability.”

An absolutuely glowing win on debut to Autumn Glow at Rosehill! ðŸ¤©@G1TySchil @cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/VANHE1rtD6
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 17, 2024

• ‘Jack Karlson’s spirit lives on’: Democracy Manifest in emotional Epsom bid

If McDonald doesn’t get his 100th Group 1 win on Autumn Glow, he has another opportunity later on the Randwick program when he partners the Waller-trained Kovalica in the Epsom Handicap.

Kovalica hasn’t won a race since taking out the Queensland Derby last year but he did finish an unlucky second in the Epsom last year and indicated a return to form last start with his fast-finishing third to Royal Patronage in the Tramway Stakes.

“I thought Kovalica was superb the other day,’’ McDonald said.

“If you go back through Chris’s methods, you can tell this is a target race for the horse.

“Kovalica probably should have won the Epsom last year and I think he is going better now.’’

THE FUTURE

James McDonald celebrates after winning the Hong Kong Cup aboard Romantic Warrior in December last year. Picture: AFP

McDonald recently confirmed the worst kept secret in racing by declaring he will eventually move to Hong Kong – but not before he breaks Oliver’s Group 1 riding record.

“It will happen one day (move to Hong Kong), no point beating around the bush,’’ McDonald said.

“But at the moment I have realistic goals I want to achieve here and I want to get them first.’’

McDonald had a career-best season in 2023-24 when he rode 19 Group 1 winners, including four in Hong Kong and one in Japan.

He has been averaging at least 10 Group 1 winners a season and if he can maintain this success rate in the majors, he will eclipse Oliver’s record in three years.

These days, McDonald is the go-to rider for just about every trainer and owner. He is recognised as the nation’s number one jockey and frequently mentioned alongside Ryan Moore as the world’s best.

He’s come a long way from the homesick teenager struggling to ride a winner in Sydney.

With over 2200 career winners, 443 at stakes level including 99 Group 1 winners, McDonald’s has a riding record most jockeys can only dream about but he retains a burning desire to achieve more.

But it may come as a surprise that he still seeks advice regularly from former champion jockeys like Beadman, Shane Dye and Glen Boss as strives to improve his riding skills.

On McDonald’s social media X (formerly Twitter) page there’s another saying that probably sums up the jockey’s fierce competitiveness and ambition: “Where only perfection will do.”