Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
It was another very successful short Hong Kong stint for McDonald, the champion hoop riding at 11 meetings including Hong Kong International Race Day which saw him take home feature events aboard Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Voyage Bubble (Deep Field).
It was not all clear sailing with a careless riding suspension to be served before he returns to Hong Kong to reunite with Voyage Bubble in the G1 Stewards Cup on January 19.
But the winners certainly rolled on, from 89 rides McDonald steering home 19 winners whilst another 21 of his mounts filled placings.
“I've absolutely loved every minute of it except for last Sunday, it threw a bit of a downer on the whole trip but we loved it, it's been brilliant,” McDonald told the HKJC, happy to be sitting in fourth place in the Hong Kong jockeys championship behind Zac Purton (51 wins), Hugh Bowman (26) and Vincent Ho (21).
James McDonald | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble have been the highlights but I really enjoyed every meeting; most meetings, I got winners so it was good.”
On Sunday he had nine rides, adding two placings to his four wins.
A double for Brave Smash
The first of those victories was aboard Super Legends (Brave Smash {Jpn}) in the Class 4 Hibiscus H.
The first leg of winning doubles for his Yarraman Park Stud-based sire and his trainer Danny Shum, Super Legends is one of only three Brave Smash runners in Hong Kong.
A Camperdown jump-out winner before heading to Hong Kong where he has won three races, Super Legends was bred by Bhima Thoroughbreds and purchased by Coolarest Farm and Salvador Bloodstock for $35,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
He headed to the following year's Inglis Classic Yearling Sale where he was secured by Golden River Investments and All Winners Thoroughbreds for $200,000.
He is the first foal for the lightly raced Devil's Harmony (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) who won at her Sandown debut at two for Lindsay Park. She produced another Brave Smash filly last year (due to have again foaled to him this year), she being lot 158 as part of the Bhima Stud draft at the Inglis Classic.
Devil's Harmony is one of four winners for the unraced Devil's Song (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) whose dam Devil's Lair (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) did a great job with her three stakes winners including the G1 New Zealand Oaks heroine Vapour Trail (NZ) (Jetball).
The winners rolled on for JMac
McDonald was also aboard the other Brave Smash winner Divano, the Francis Lui-trained 4-year-old who has won four of his nine Hong Kong starts including his last two.
Bred by Aquis Farm (Brave Smash's first home) and Ariel Arnott, Divano was purchased by J Carey for $57,500 at the 2021 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale and by Ryan and Alexiou Racing and David Raphael for $90,000 at the 2022 Inglis Classic.
He is the third foal and first winner for the city-placed three-time winner Been Scene (Bianconi {USA}) who foaled a Bon Aurum colt last year. She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Lake Jackson (Sebring) out of the stakes-placed Scenes (Scenic {Ire]) whose Group 3-winning dam Princess Plume (Military Plume {NZ}) also produced the dual stakes winner Visual Displays (Scenic {Ire}).
Also a winner for McDonald was Lady's Choice (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) who has twice been successful from his last four starts for the Michael Chang stable.
Bred by Ardsley Stud, Lady's Choice is a son of the Listed Inglewood S. winner No Pushover (NZ) (Pins). A $25,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale graduate, he headed to Hong Kong off a trial victory at Ruakaka in June 2022.
No Pushover, whose dam is a half-sister to the G2 Moonee Valley Oaks winner Pure Harmony (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), was not served last year having foaled a Satono Aladdin (Jpn) colt who Ardsley Stud have, as Lot 150 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Hong Kong Derby bound
Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) was another smart winner for McDonald, a Pierre Ng-trained 3-year-old who was breaking through for his first Hong Kong win at his third start there.
Previously trained by Aidan O'Brien where he was a winner and three times placed from four starts, he was bred by Chasemore Farm and purchased by MV Magnier and White Birch Farm for 200,000gns (AU$422,100) at the 2022 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.
An aspirant for the G1 Hong Kong Derby, he still has plenty to come according to his trainer who said "he is the kind of horse who will keep improving. For a northern hemisphere 3-year-old to win a race carrying this weight (131 pounds) is quite special."
Johannes Brahms is the second foal for the stakes placed Illaunmore (USA) (Shamardal {USA}) from the family of this year's G2 York Lowther S. winner Celandine (GB) (Kingman {GB}).
Joyful Prosperity (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was the other winner for Danny Shum and what great form that 4-year-old is in, the grey winning three in a row; two of those including this latest success with Hugh Bowman aboard.
He is a half-brother to the G3 Cambridge Breeders S. winner Sweet Leader (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) out of an Encosta De Lago mare whose dam is the Group 3 winner Swiftsynd (Swift Gun), also dam of the popular grey Le Zagaletta (Last Tycoon {Ire}) who won 14 races including five Group races.
Ex-pats in winning form
Two Australian ex-pats were in the winner's circle, David Hall with Ka Ying Attack (NZ) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and John Size with Raging Blizzard (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).
It was the second win in a row from just three starts for Ka Ying Attack who was bred by Jamieson Park, heading to Hong Kong off a Foxton trial victory in November last year.
A $30,000 purchase for RR Philip at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale, he is one of the three winners for the unraced Refreshing (Stratum), half-sister to the Listed winner Sangria (I Am Invincible) from the prolific Shantha's Choice (Canny Lad) family.
Refreshing was due this year to Almanzor (Fr) having foaled a Tarzino (NZ) colt last year.
Also bred by Jamieson Park, Raging Blizzard has built an excellent record in Hong Kong, this latest win his fifth from twelve starts.
His jockey Antoine Hamelin had been enduring a dry run but back in form to celebrate this, his 100th Hong Kong winner.
“It's great,” he said, “I have been waiting a while for this one. But now, I'm very happy. The horse was very well prepared, as usual, by Mr Size. I thanked him again for the support he has given me over these four years and I hope for more in the coming years.”
Purchased by John Foote for $225,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic, Raging Blizzard is one of the three winners for the placed Perfect Beat (Magnus) whose stakes-placed dam Silverbeat (Distant Music {USA}) has been a very successful broodmare with her six winners including the Group 2 winners Upbeat (Strategic) and Bella Martini (Stratum) as well as the Listed winners Volcanic General (Magnus) and Alpha Beat (Magnus).
Perfect Beat was due this year to Tarzino having last year foaled a Turn Me Loose (NZ) colt who is Lot 768 in the Jamieson Park draft in Book 1 at Karaka.
Treble for Chau
The other three winners on the card were all steered home by Jerry Chau who had been out of form.
“The last two months have, for me, been a bit down and it's been hard to get winners. But I just kept working hard, going to Sha Tin and Conghua to ride track work to get the results. It seems now like the luck has changed and everything is going well.”
Jerry Chau wins aboard Sky Joy in the Class 4 Hibiscus H. at Sha Tin on Sunday | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
It was a particularly good ride aboard the Ricky Yiu-trained Sky Joy (Hellbent) who, at just his second start, had a tricky gate to contend with.
“But luckily he has good gate speed and we had some luck to get a little bit of cover,” the rider reported.
Yiu described Sky Joy, who is one of his Yarraman Park Stud's three winners in Hong Kong, as “a nice horse and who responded really well under the stick. It was one, two and boom off he goes. It was his second start and from a wide barrier statistics told us he couldn’t win. But with Jerry Chau on him, like I said to the owners, he’ll at least be in the first three because we've got a jockey who is flying today. He (Chau) is an improving young chap, I like him a lot. Before he went overseas, he was with me and I spent a lot of time with him for 12 months or so.”
Bred by Yarraman Park Stud with R and R Dufficy, Sky Joy was purchased by Tal Nolen for $24,000 at the 2023 Inglis Classic and by Yiu for $210,000 at the Inglis Ready To Race.
He is one of the three winners for the city winner Magic Of Dreams (Magic Albert) whose Listed Belle Of The Turf S.-winning dam Pekalan (Sri Pekan {USA}) also produced the G3 Tibbie S. winner Fine Bubbles (Casino Prince).
Hailing from the family of Yes Yes Yes and In Her Time (Time Thief), Magic Of Dreams foaled an Aysar filly in late October and a Splintex filly last year. Her 2-year-old is a full brother to Sky Joy; named Magic Weaver (Hellbent), the $55,000 Perth Magic Millions graduate is a member of the Sean and Jake Casey stable.
Still in good form at eight
Also in winning form for Chau was Fire Ball (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) who is still racing well at eight, this win his fifth. Bred by the Hewson family, he was purchased by the AOK Stable for $150,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Heading to Hong Kong off a Cambridge trial win in early 2019, he is one of the four winners for the five-time winner Lady Winifred (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}), also dam of the G1 VRC Derby runner-up Sully (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) and the stakes-placed Deedee Panache (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
Another World (Kermadec {NZ}) was another winner for Chau, the Benno Yung-trained 4-year-old enjoying his first Hong Kong success at his third start.
Bred by P Newsom and purchased by Tartan Bloodstock for $130,000 at Karaka, he is the sixth winner for the metropolitan winner Our Squeezer (Redoute's Choice), also dam of the stakes-placed multiple city winner Tamarack (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and grandam of the stakes-placed Betty Spaghetti (Stratum Star).
From the same Group 1 family as Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}), Champagne (NZ) (Zabeel), St Reims (NZ) and Charmont (High Chaparral {Ire}), Our Squeezer foaled a Johannes Vermeer (Ire) colt in late September having not had much luck since foaling Another World who made his way to Hong Kong after a Foxton trial victory in April.
