McDonald's Flight Challenge For Next Month

If jockey James McDonald wants to come back to Hong Kong to ride last start Group 1 winner Voyage Bubble (Deep Field-Raheights, by Rahy) in his next run in the Gr1 Gold Cup on February 23, it's going to take a tight turnaround and a bit of good fortune, reports scmp.com. McDonald is booked to ride Romantic Warrior (Acclamation-Folk Melody, by Street Cry) in the Gr1 Saudi Cup on February 22 at 8.40pm local time, and there is a flight from there to Hong Kong leaving at just after midnight. That flight arrives in Hong Kong at 1.40pm Hong Kong time, so McDonald would need permission from the Jockey Club to arrive after the start of the meeting on the 23rd. There is, of course, a private option at a cost of around HK$1 million, which is less than he'd earn from winning on Voyage Bubble, but more than he'd earn from winning the Gr1 Saudi Cup. Romantic Warrior is already the world's highest earning racehorse, having overtaken Golden Sixy (Medaglia d'Oro-Gaudeamus, by Distorted Humor) with his last win, and a win the Saudi Cup would catapult him into a new stratosphere. Romantic Warrior's current earnings sit at A$3,083,750, HK$152,881,400, and 183,780,000¥ which equates to A$35 million. Golden Sixty's earnings of HK$167,170,600 equate to A$34.4 million.