Racing
Ray On Sunday
Champion jockey James McDonald is set to break Damien Oliver’s Group 1 riding record on the biggest stage of them all, Golden Slipper Day, at Rosehill Gardens next Saturday.
It seems the perfect scenario and not dissimilar to South Sydney winger Alex Johnston breaking Ken Irvine's all-time try-scoring record last Friday night against arch-rivals Sydney Roosters.
And just as Johnston's record is likely to stand the test of time, 34-year-old McDonald could set a Group 1 mark that will never be broken.
After winning on Lazzura in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic last Saturday, McDonald will go to the Golden Slipper meeting on 128 career Group 1 wins – just one behind Oliver's record of 129 majors for an Australian-based jockey.
McDonald, who has an outstanding book of Group 1 rides at Rosehill all for the Chris Waller stable including Autumn Glow, Aeliana, Autumn Boy, Generosity and Fireball in the Golden Slipper, is doing his best to deflect focus away from the Oliver record.
"It hasn't really even come into my calculations to be honest with you,'' McDonald said after his win on Lazzura.
"It's a funny feeling because Ollie is so great I don't feel like I should be in that echelon just yet. I feel very privileged to be in the position where I'm getting there slowly."
But the Australian Turf Club is ready to acknowledge McDonald's monumental achievement if he claims the Group 1 record on Saturday.
"The ATC is working on some plans to ensure the moment is celebrated if James does get the record,'' said ATC's Nevesh Ramdhani.
"We don't want a 'pitch invasion' like there was for Alex Johnston, we don't want punters swarming onto the track and I'm sure that won't happen, but we also want to recognise the moment.''
McDonald is on 98 career Group 1 wins on Australian racetracks and is poised to become just the third jockey to raise the bat for a century of wins in this country after Damien Oliver with 125 and George Moore on 104. Hugh Bowman is on 99 Australian Group 1 wins.
Lazzura gave Waller and McDonald their 53rd Group 1 win together and they are just one win behind the all-time trainer-jockey record of 54 majors set by the legendary Tommy Smith and George Moore.
John Brown, the former Federal Sports Minister in the Hawke Government, was at Rosehill on Saturday and congratulated Waller on Lazzura's Coolmore win before declaring: "I've been coming to the races for many years and I have never seen a better jockey than James McDonald.''
The same could be said for the trainer as Waller prepared his 189th career Group 1 winner with Lazzura – just 18 years after winning his first major with Triple Honour in the 2008 Doncaster Handicap.
Remarkably, both Waller and McDonald won their first Group 1 the same year.
McDonald was a 16-year-old apprentice when he rode Special Mission to win the Group 1 Breeders Stakes in New Zealand.
SLIPPER DAY IS ALWAYS HUGE
Understandably, most of the nation's best racehorses will be competing at the race meeting some argue is the nation's best for sheer equine quality.
This Golden Slipper meeting on Saturday shapes as one of the ages with numerous highlights aside from McDonald's record chase. They include:
- The $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) is the world's richest two-year-old race and Saturday's "dash for cash" is wide open with Chayan and Paradoxium equal favourites at $5 just ahead of Warwoven at $7.
- Super mare Autumn Glow, racing's "Miss Invincible", will be aiming for her 11th win from as many starts in the Group 1 $1 million George Ryder Stakes (1500m).
- Aeliana has to overcome Sir Delius to finally get a deserved Group 1 win in the $1 million Ranvet Stakes (2000m).
- Briasa, the "Grey Flash", takes on a star-studded sprint field including last year's Golden Slipper winner Marhoona and last start Challenge Stakes winner Generosity in the Group 1 $million The Galaxy (1100m).
- The clash between Observer and Autumn Boy for the Group 1 $1 million Rosehill Guineas (2000m) could be a classic three-year-old showdown.
A WIDE OPEN JUVENILE CHAMPIONSHIP
It's a common theme that is repeated most years but particularly so for next Saturday's big race.
The only two-year-olds to win successive races leading into the Golden Slipper have not even raced at Rosehill.
Paradoxium has won at Wyong and Randwick, Streisand has gone back-to-back at Caulfield, and Music Time has won three straight in Canberra.
All the Sydney Slipper lead-up races have been won by a different two-year-old which is the reason it is $5 the field for the world's richest juvenile race.
The all-important Golden Slipper barrier draw will be held at Rosehill on Tuesday morning.
Of course, it is desirable to draw closer to the inside than out, as reflected from Slipper history.
The most successful starting position is the rails barrier which has produced 11 Golden Slipper winners, most recently with Shinzo (2023) and Fireburn (2022).
But drawing wide is the not necessarily the end of a horse's winning chances as the 14 gate has produced six Golden Slipper winners including Estijaab (2018) and Kiamichi (2019).
In fact, barrier 14 is the equal second most successful Slipper starting gate along with barriers 3 and 8.
A closer examination of the previous 69 runnings of the Golden Slipper reveals that 52 winners have started between barriers 1 and 10.
Thus, 17 winners have started from barrier 11 or wide including two from the extreme outside gate of 16 – Phelan Ready (2009) and Vancouver (2015).
But the two-year-old that draws barrier 13 on Tuesday will need to create history as since the Golden Slipper was first run in 1957, no winner has come out of the hoodoo gate.
ONES TO WATCH FROM COOLMORE CLASSIC DAY
The Bryce Heys-trained Flying For Fun ripped home her final 600m in a slick 32.97s. She was the only runner to break 33s for that sectional all day.
In the same race, King's Secret's effort for third was also noteworthy. He didn't get a lot of galloping room in the straight but sprinted his final 200m in 11.03s which was the fastest closing split of the meeting.
A couple of beaten runners also caught the eye. Federalist is still a maiden but he won't be for long if his effort to close late for second to Sixties in the Phar Lap Stakes is any indication.
The Team Hawkes-trained Federalist made up a lot of ground late to get within a length of the winner on the line. He ran his final 600m in 33.57s with a 200m closing sectional of 11.39s – impressive returns at the end of 1500m.
In the Pago Pago Stakes, Persian Wonder couldn't keep up early and was 3 lengths behind the second last horse on settling down.
But Persian Wonder ran on strongly late for fourth, beaten just over a length, and recording 34.02s for the final 600m. He's also ready to break his maiden soon.