James McDonald is a popular figure in Sydney racing, but Blake Shinn and Hugh Bowman will offer a scowl when they see him in a Sydney birdcage in the next couple of weeks.
Shinn and Bowman are attempting to run McDonald down for the Sydney jockeys' premiership and, although neither is saying much, they would have been disappointed to learn McDonald is returning early from his European busman's holiday before the end of the season on July 31.
The New Zealand superstar is not coming back to his Sydney base for reasons of the premiership fight - he had conceded that when he headed to England - but at the insistence of Godolphin trainer John O'Shea, who wants McDonald to be available to ride Godolphin's spring stars at barrier trial meetings.
McDonald heads the premiership on 88 wins, with Blake Shinn moving to 85.5 with his win on Hollywood Bound in the last at Rosehill on Saturday. Hugh Bowman is on 84 wins.
With that single win, Shinn has become the $2.60 favourite to take the premiership, but McDonald may have the last say on that. McDonald and Bowman are at $2.80 for the title.
One of the Godolphin horses McDonald is likely to be on for the premiership fight will be Haussmann, a stylish winner at Rosehill on Saturday under Christian Reith.
He will run next in the Winter Stakes in two weeks.
O'Shea offered his thoughts about McDonald's next four weeks.
''He will be straight off the plane from England and straight back to work,'' he said.
''No detours along the way, either.''
- by Mike Dillon, NZ Herald
