His most regular booking comes from trainer Sean O'Brien, but that partnership has not clicked in the results column — 0 wins from 15 rides together. Fifteen races is a meaningful sample, and while a single partnership does not define a jockey, it does suggest McDonagh has not yet found the combination of horse, trainer, and moment that can turn a quiet season into a memorable one. His association with Scriabin tells a similar story: three races together, no wins.
The one area where there is a genuine hint of something to work with is on wet ground. With 1 win from 9 races in those conditions, he converts at around 11% — or roughly 1 in every 9 rides — which is meaningfully better than his overall rate this season. That gap is worth noting. It is small enough that you would not want to read too much into it, but it at least suggests there are circumstances where things start to click. For a jockey looking to rebuild momentum, small edges matter.
The broader picture is of a rider who has proven he can win races — 51 career winners is real — but who is currently going through the kind of difficult season that is frankly common in this sport. Horses are unpredictable, rides are competitive, and form can desert anyone. What McDonagh needs is a horse in form, a trainer whose runners arrive ready to run, and a bit of luck to land at the right moment. Those things have a way of coming together eventually. When they do, the foundation is already there.
| Course | Races | Wins | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punchestown | 7 | 0 | 0% |
| Listowel | 6 | 1 | 16.7% |
| Down Royal | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Tramore | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Ballinrobe | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Fairyhouse | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Kilbeggan | 3 | 0 | 0% |
| Clonmel | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Downpatrick | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Leopardstown | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Cork | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Limerick | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Roscommon | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Killarney | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Cheltenham | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Bellewstown | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Ffos Las | 1 | 0 | 0% |