James McDonald will have a strong chance to continue his winning run this season in Group One races after being confirmed as the rider for I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday week’s $1.5 million Gr.1 Doomben 10,000 (1200m) in Brisbane.
McDonald, who claimed another six elite races over the recently finished Sydney autumn carnival, took his first ride on I Wish I Win in the Gr.1 T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick last month following an injury-ridden lead-up to the race by regular rider Luke Nolen.
Nolen missed more than two months of racing when broke a rib and suffered internal bleeding after a trackwork fall at Pakenham in early February before making a return to riding in late March.
He has since ridden five winners in the six weeks since his return.
In all, Nolen has ridden I Wish I Win in eight of his Australian starts with Jamie Kah partnering the former Kiwi in his winning debut at Caulfield in August, 2022 before McDonald replaced the injured Nolen for last month’s T J Smith Stakes.
Sportsbet has I Wish I Win as the $3 favourite for the Doomben 10,000. He could then progress to the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June.
