No-one knows better than Lance O’Sullivan what it takes to win the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m), which is as good a recommendation as any around the engagement of James McDonald for Tomodachi in the Trentham Group One sprint.
During O’Sullivan’s storied jockey career, encompassing 12 premierships and 62 Group One wins in his homeland as well as international majors for a career tally of 2,479, the Telegraph stands like a beacon.
O’Sullivan rode the winner of the famous Trentham sprint a record six times and last January he joined his father Dave and brother Paul on the trainers’ honour roll with Grail Seeker.
On January 3 he and Wexford Stables partner Andrew Scott will be double-handed in the 2026 edition of the Telegraph with Grail Seeker set to be joined by Tomodachi.
The latter firmed to $3.80 favouritism following the weekend announcement that McDonald will make a special trip to Trentham to ride her in the $550,000 feature, while Grail Seeker shares the second line with Crocetti at $5.
Coming up 14 years ago, McDonald added the Telegraph to his growing list of big wins when he combined with Guiseppina to down the Australian raiders Atomic Force and Nash Rawiller, who three weeks earlier had won the Gr.1 Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie.
Like all others trained by Stephen Ramsay and Julia Ritchie, Guiseppina raced in the royal blue and white hooped colours of her breeder Sir Peter Vela, which is the common thread leading to McDonald’s engagement for Tomodachi.
“The booking was made by Sir Peter’s racing manager Gary Cossey and we were very happy to receive confirmation,” O’Sullivan said on Monday.
“James is obviously a world class jockey, he knows how to win the Telegraph, and for our part Tomodachi is right on target, so hopefully it will all come together with the right result.”
Tomodachi and Grail Seeker were both ridden in the most recent phase of near-identical preparations by Joe Doyle, who has been confirmed for the defending Telegraph title-holder.
They were placed in separate 1100m trials at the start of last Friday’s Matamata race meeting, satisfying their connections that all is well ahead of their Trentham mission.
“We’re happy with both mares and even though their work patterns are a lot different, we’re confident that they’re on target,” O’Sullivan said.
McDonald last rode in New Zealand almost two years ago, when he claimed the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and 3YO (1600m) double on Velocious and Orchestral.
More recently before another Hong Kong stint, he signed off a productive Australian spring carnival on the final day of Melbourne Cup week when completing a Melbourne Group One double on Via Sistina.
Having already claimed his fourth consecutive Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) and his second on the Chris Waller-trained mare, he and the champion expat trainer combined for their 50th Group One together with Via Sistina in the Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.
McDonald’s Hong Kong stint ended on Saturday with a double at Sha Tin, taking his tally there for the season to date to 13 wins from 84 rides, with his mounts’ combined earnings of HK$47 million placing him second on that metric to resident champion Zac Purton.
Having been awarded his third World’s Best Jockey trophy at the start of the Longines Hong Kong International Meeting, McDonald combined with local champion Romantic Warrior for a record fourth consecutive victory in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m).
A commitment to the world record stake-earner for his next Hong Kong start will prevent McDonald from attending the Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie, however, his single-race cameo appearance at Trentham on January 3 is bound to draw an audience befitting the occasion. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
