Group 1 lures McDonald to Melbourne

Champion jockey James Mcdonald has countless enquiries for rides to choose from each week from all the leading stables, particularly those based in Sydney. 

So, when there is a clash of big races in his hometown and Melbourne, where to head is even more difficult. 

McDonald heads to Flemington on Saturday, to partner the Chris Waller-trained Switzerland in the Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m), leaving behind his Cox Plate winning mare Via Sistina who runs first-up in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick with Kerrin Mcevoy to take the ride. 

McDonald said it was a difficult decision to make with good horses racing in both Melbourne and Sydney this weekend. 

"It makes it difficult but in saying that you can't be in two places at once and probably a great example of that was this weekend," McDonald told Sydney's Sky Racing radio. 

"We've got all those horses resuming at Randwick and Switzerland in the Lightning. 

"I sit down with Chris and see where he wants us to go, and he makes the final decision. 

"With those horses resuming, it's disappointing to miss them but in saying that I'm pretty excited to be on Switzerland as well." - James McDonald

"It's a catch 22 and it's a good position to be in." 

McDonald is chasing a second win in the Lightning Stakes having teamed with Waller to win with Home Affairs in 2022. 

Like Home Affairs, Switzerland is a three-year-old and is attempting to win the Lightning first-up having won the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in the spring. 

McDonald said he was looking forward to reuniting with Switzerland on Saturday. 

"He is a really good colt. He won the Coolmore in exceptional fashion," McDonald said. 

"He ticked that box of up the straight, he excelled up the straight so we're hoping he can do it again against older horses. 

"This is a huge test for him, but he's had the perfect preparation in terms of two trials, he had a nice little stretch of the legs up the straight the other day." - James McDonald

"Even though this is probably his toughest test to date he has been well prepared, so we expect him to run really, really well." 

Apart from a couple of 'blips' on the radar of Switzerland after winning his first three starts, the colt rebounded strongly in the spring to show the class McDonald has seen in the three-year-old. 

"He is a very good horse, he has shown it from day dot, so we're looking forward to seeing if he can make this next serious step to weight-for-age, which I think he can," McDonald said. 

"I'm quietly confident he can anyway."