His overall numbers tell a story of a jockey still finding his feet at the highest level. Across four years he has ridden 69 winners, and this season he is winning roughly 1 in every 11 races — 13 from 138 rides so far. That is down from last year, when he was winning 1 in every 4 races, so there has clearly been a step up in the quality or quantity of competition he is facing. A dip like that is not unusual as a young rider starts getting booked for harder races against stronger horses, but it is something to keep an eye on.
What is harder to ignore is what has happened in the last two weeks. Three winners from 7 rides — that is nearly 1 in every 2 races, against a season average of 1 in 11. That kind of purple patch does not happen by accident, and it suggests McDonald is riding with real confidence right now. His best results also come on wet or soft ground, where he has won 3 from 7 races across his career — the same 43% rate. Whether that reflects a particular riding style or simply good fortune, it is a pattern worth noting.
His most regular partnership is with trainer C S Shum, though their combined record of 2 wins from 20 rides together shows there is still more to unlock there. At roughly 1 win in every 10 rides with Shum, it is a working relationship rather than a dominant one — but partnerships in racing often take time to click. With 69 career winners already banked, two top-level wins at Ascot, and a red-hot run of form heading into the summer, McDonald looks like a jockey whose best days are comfortably ahead of him.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| sha_tin | 79 | 6 | 7.6% |
| happy_valley | 36 | 2 | 5.6% |
| Ascot | 12 | 1 | 8.3% |
| rosehill | 8 | 4 | 50% |
| meydan | 3 | 0 | 0% |