Australia’s champion jockey James McDonald is in hospital with a mystery stomach problem and could miss the final group 1 race of the season at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Doctors have ruled out appendicitis and will run further tests on Thursday. McDonald was stood down after just four rides at Warwick Farm the previous day.
James McDonald returns on Romantic Warrior after winning the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last year.Credit: Racing Photos / Getty Images
The 32-year-old had started Wednesday feeling like he had “a stitch” at Warwick Farm, which progressively worsened during the afternoon. McDonald drove himself to Prince Of Wales Hospital at Randwick but, after an overnight stay, it remains unclear what the problem is.
It means McDonald is unlikely to head to Brisbane on Saturday where he is due to ride C’est Magique, who is the $6.50 second pick for the Tattersall’s Tiara, and was booked for three other favourites.
McDonald had booked a holiday after the final group 1 meeting for the season in Australia and was scheduled to have a couple of weeks off. He has had the best season of his career, riding 113 winners at a remarkable strike rate of 24 per cent with 19 of them coming at group 1 level.
It has been one of the greatest seasons from any Australian jockey as he has ridden 14 top-line winners in Australia and added another five in Hong Kong and Japan.
He has linked with Hong Kong champion Romantic Warrior for five group 1 victories, including the Cox Plate, the Hong Kong Gold Cup and Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo at the beginning of this month.
“He is the best horse I have ridden. It is remarkable that he has won one of Australia’s best races, one of Japan’s best races as well as being unbeaten at home in Hong Kong,” McDonald said. “He has been one of the highlights of an incredible year.”
McDonald’s success has him a clear leader in the World Best Jockey standings for 2024 at the halfway point.