“It’s a huge honour”: J-Mac celebrates World’s Best Jockey Award with Sha Tin double

James McDonald celebrated winning the 2024 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award for the second time with a double, triumphing on Manfred Man’s Self Improvement in the Class 3 Chevalier Insurance Handicap (1200m, dirt) and David Eustace’s Swift Ascend in the Class 3 Chevalier Property Management Handicap (1200m).

McDonald was assured his second LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award when Auguste Rodin finished eighth in the G1 Japan Cup (2400m) in Tokyo on Sunday under Ryan Moore, leaving the New Zealander with 160 points to Moore’s 150 for results in the LONGINES World’s Top 100 Group 1 races.

“It’s a huge honour and it’s just reflective of all the good horses I’ve ridden – I could almost name it the Romantic Warrior Award, to be honest with you, because he was such a huge contributor,” McDonald said.

“He’s obviously a world champion in his own right, so you have to be part of those sort of horses – the Via Sistinas of the world – so those two horses (Romantic Warrior and Via Sistina) were huge contributors and it’s a huge honour.

“I’m very proud of my year.”

McDonald rode nine winners at the highest level since 1 December, with Romantic Warrior providing four of those victories – G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), G1 Citi Gold Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m), G1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m) and G1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m).

McDonald, who has ridden three doubles in three successive meetings for six wins from 24 rides since returning to Hong Kong for a short-term stint, previously won the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award in 2022.

Originally written by Leo Schlink and published by HKJC.