As another successful short-term stint comes to an end for James McDonald, it is an ideal time to compare him with Zac Purton and ask the obvious question: could he challenge Zac Purton for the Hong Kong jockeys’ championship if he came to Hong Kong full-time?
The short answer is yes. But before getting there, it’s important to line the two riders up properly, because while both are superstars, they are very different jockeys.
Zac Purton and James McDonald are two standout riders, there is no denying that, but there are big differences between them and it starts with how they became great. Zac Purton was not born to be a jockey. He was never gifted. He has had to work at it – really work at it – and he has made himself into a superstar through sheer determination, mental strength and repetition.
Purton’s greatest strength is his mental approach. He is incredibly strong. You cannot upset him, you cannot rattle him and that’s why he outlasted Douglas Whyte and why he beat Joao Moreira in the end – he beat Moreira mentally.
Zac brings an aggressive approach to Hong Kong racing. He goes into every race believing his horse should be in the first four once the field settles. But that mindset is both his strength and his weakness.
Because of that mentality, Purton is very aggressive out of the gates. He wants race position. He wants his horse out of trouble and ‘in the race’. Most of the time in Hong Kong, that wins you races. It’s a percentage game and Zac plays it better than anyone. But sometimes that aggression can be a weakness, because not every horse wants to be ridden like that. When a horse needs to be relaxed and ridden quietly, Zac has to consciously override his natural instinct – and when he does, he can ride horses back in the field very well.
James McDonald is completely different. James was born to be a jockey. He is gifted. He didn’t have to make himself great – it was there from the start. Horses run for him. He is naturally balanced, soft, and instinctive. When you watch him ride, the horse never looks out of rhythm underneath him. That balance is his biggest strength.
Unlike Purton, McDonald does not force a horse to race where he wants it to race. He more often lets a horse race where it wants to be. He isn’t aggressive out of the gates for the sake of it. He listens to the horse and that’s why good horses become great horses under him. His weakness, in the past, was that when under pressure he would get going too early in a race – with 600 or 700 metres to go because he preferred being out in the clear rather than risking being unlucky. But over the past two to three years, James has corrected that, and that’s why he is now riding more big-race winners than ever before. He will more often ‘ride for luck’ now – he will take an inside run now when he wouldn’t before – and he is riding better for that.
The last 12 meetings have given us a glimpse of what Hong Kong racing might be like if the two superstars rode against each other week-in, week-out. J-Mac rode 13 winners from 12 meetings, Zac had 17 during the same stretch.
They are different riders, but both are superstars. James McDonald is the only true superstar jockey riding in Australia at present. If he committed to Hong Kong full-time, it would be a great tussle between Purton and McDonald for the championship, there is no doubt about that.
Australian Riders Get The Rough End Of The Deal
This might surprise people but Australian-based riders like James McDonald are paid very poorly compared to the rest of the world.
Australian prizemoney is huge, but jockeys ride for just five per cent of the money earned, which is one of the lowest percentages anywhere in world racing. For a long time, that was softened by what was known as the sling. Owners and trainers would often match the jockey’s five per cent with another five per cent – sometimes more – as a goodwill payment. That culture has largely disappeared.
By comparison, jockeys in Hong Kong, the United States and most of Europe earn at least 8 per cent and as much as 10 per cent of the win prizemoney as standard. On top of that, the best riders overseas are often looked after in ways Australian jockeys simply aren’t – travel covered, accommodation covered, and in Europe, retainers and stallion-related incentives for riding elite colts.
To put it in perspective, elite American jockeys such as Flavien Prat and Irad Ortiz Jr have mounts earning close to US$40 million in prizemoney in a season. In Japan, the prizemoney is huge. In Hong Kong, Zac Purton mounts consistently win over HK$200 million a season, from which he receives 10 per cent for a winning ride and is taxed lightly, especially compared to Australia. There are other perks in Hong Kong as well, accommodation is paid for, travel and a business class flight home for you and your family during the off-season.
James McDonald’s mounts earned more than AUD$33 million in Australia last season – but he only gets five per cent. The prizemoney looks big, but the cut is small, the tax is high, and the benefits don’t exist. That’s the reality.
So why doesn’t James McDonald come to Hong Kong full-time?
Right now, he has the best of both worlds – riding the best horses in Australia and flying into Hong Kong for the big ones. I also think he wants to break Damien Oliver’s record for most Group 1 wins 129. James has 122 now and that record chase will keep him based in Australia for now.
Some people love the Hong Kong lifestyle, some people don’t. It is whether you can adapt to it or not. For me personally, Hong Kong was always the better lifestyle. I loved riding in Australia, but in Hong Kong you are treated incredibly well. Everything is taken care of. The racing is elite, the prizemoney is strong and the tax system makes sense. For a jockey, there is no greater place, if you are successful, than Hong Kong.
That’s why Hong Kong suited me long-term. Whether it ever suits James and his family the same way is up to them, and only they can decide that.
Romantic Warrior: Earned The Right
As for Romantic Warrior not returning to Saudi Arabia for a rematch with Forever Young, it’s impossible to criticise the decision.
They have tried everything with this horse. They have dodged no one. He has travelled, competed, and delivered at the highest level around the world. At eight years old, they have earned the right to do whatever they believe is best for him.
Keeping Romantic Warrior in Hong Kong is great for local racing and great for the fans. The connections have consistently made the right calls with him, and there’s no reason to doubt their judgement now. ∎
