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Champion rider to miss rich Queensland raceday after Hong Kong suspension.
James Mcdonald will miss next month's Magic Millions Raceday on the Gold Coast after being suspended in Hong Kong on Sunday.
The champion rider was outed on a careless riding charge stemming from an incident in the second-last race of the day in which fellow rider Lyle Hewitson was dislodged from his mount and transported to hospital.
Hewitson complained of knee and toe soreness and underwent the relevant scans.
Hong Kong stewards hit McDonald – who won the race in question aboard Swift Ascend – with a seven-meeting ban, which will commence on Boxing Day and expire on Thursday, January 16, along with a fine equivalent to around AU$12,000.
"J McDonald pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding in that near the 450 metres he directed mount out to the outside of Charming Babe when not clear of Lucky Archangel, resulting in Swift Ascend making heavy contact with Lucky Archangel and taking that horse across the running of Joyful Hunter, resulting in Joyful Hunter falling and L Hewitson being dislodged," the stewards report read.
"In assessing penalty, the stewards determined the carelessness grade 3 and the consequences grade 5 and also considered his very good race riding record."
The rich Magic Millions Raceday, which features the $3m Magic Millions 2YO Classic, $3m Magic Millions 3YO Guineas and five other events worth at least $1m, will be held on the Gold Coast on January 11.
McDonald's suspension ends three days before the Group 1 Stewards' Cup at Sha Tin, in which he is likely to continue his association with Voyage Bubble, while he is also free to ride Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 Jebel Hatta in Dubai on January 24.
