World Jockey of the Year is James McDonald

Never mind Frankie Dettori or Irad Ortiz, Christophe Lemaire or Joel Rosario. And never mind Ryan Moore, who has just been named the Longines World’s Best Jockey. No, the Jockey of the Year for 2021 is without doubt the Sydney-based New Zealander James McDonald, as James Willoughby reports here in the first part of his annual review of the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary (TRC) Global Rankings.

The brilliant McDonald has taken Australia by storm in 2021 and rightly risen to world No 1. Punters down under are happy to pay the ‘J-Mac tax’ and accept a point or two shorter in the odds for his services, while top trainers queue up to engage him in all the big races, Willoughby writes.

The 29-year-old has teamed up with the likes of Nature Strip, Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant and Zaaki to assume the position his career has long suggested. No jockey in world racing right now is better to watch.

Original article by James Willoughby, Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, December 19, 2021.

Photo by Trish Dunell.