The world’s best jockey, James McDonald, knew a couple of months ago that Joseph O’Brien would be his man for the Melbourne Cup, but he had to wait to find out which of his raiders he would ride.
McDonald will ride the top pick of O’Brien’s five Cup runners, $8 second favourite Trustyourinstincts on Tuesday, which is a departure from his usual practice.
He is generally on Chris Waller’s leading contenders in Group 1s, but Soul Of Spain and Asterix didn’t get enough weight for him to ride them.
If he can win the Melbourne Cup it will be his first Group 1 winner outside the Waller stable since Sunshine In Paris in last year’s Doomben 10,000.
“Joseph rang me very early on and said they were bringing a team and would like me to ride one,” McDonald said.
“A couple of things had to fall into place before I could say yes, but we were locked in September.
“He had a couple of horses that were going to get my weight, which is always the first thing you look at for the Cup.
“It was always going to be a good ride whatever he was going to put me on.”
McDonald hasn’t been on Trustyourinstincts since he arrived in Australia, but he likes what he saw on the videos from Ireland. The stayer charged to victory from last in the Curragh Cup before a game fourth behind Europe’s best stayer Scandinavia in the Irish St Leger.
“He looks a stayer with change-up speed that you need to win a Melbourne Cup,” McDonald said. “He likes firm tracks, so I wouldn’t want too much rain, but he looks like he will stay.
”I would have liked to draw a bit softer [than gate 18] but with the right run, I think he has the quality to be in the finish.”
McDonald went to 21 Group 1 wins for 2026, winning the Victoria Derby on Stormy Marco and the Empire Rose Stakes on Lady Shenandoah on Saturday, which was part of a quartet of wins.
