World’s top jockey hospitalised with mystery illness

Australia’s best jockey is in a Sydney hospital with a mystery illness.

James McDonald drove himself to Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick on Wednesday after becoming ill, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

The 32-year-old rode four races at the Warwick Farm meeting on Wednesday before reporting what he thought was a bad stitch.

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The pain became so bad he retired from the remainder of the meeting, and drove himself to hospital.

The Herald reports doctors ruled out appendicitis but McDonald was still there on Thursday morning and medics had not figured out the problem.

It means the champion jockey is likely to miss Saturday’s meeting in Brisbane, where he was to ride one of the favourites in the $700,000 Group 1 Tattersall’s Tiara.

McDonald is booked to ride C’est Magique for his regular Sydney trainer Chris Waller at Eagle Farm, in what is the final Group 1 meet of the Australian season – which concludes at the end of July.

The jockey was scheduled to take a holiday following this weekend’s meet.

McDonald won the 2021 Melbourne Cup aboard Verry Elleegant and has been considered Australia’s best hoop for a number of years.

In October he became the first jockey in 33 years to win back-to-back Cox Plates on different horses.

This season he’s already ridden 113 winners, including 19 at Group 1 level.

He has also been dominating the Brisbane winter racing of late.

During the winter carnival he has ridden 16 winners from 35 rides for an enviable 45.71 per cent strike rate.

“The holds we’ve seen on J-Mac’s rides in Queensland indicate our punters think he’s unbeatable up there,” Senior TAB bookmaker Tim Ryan told Racenet this week.

“It’s been crazy over the carnival so we’re expecting her (C’est Magique) to be well supported.”

It now looks likely Waller will need to find a different hoop for his assault on the Tattersall’s Tiara.