James Riding for Te Akau Singapore

Top Kiwi jockey James McDonald - who now resides in both Sydney and more latterly the United Kingdom - has been granted a licence to ride at Kranji and Singapore Derby Day this Sunday.

James was of course Te Akau's stable rider in then formative stages of his New Zealand career and we have maintained a close friendship with this talented young New Zealander. David and Karyn had dinner with James when in Sydney for the Easter Sales and Mark and David spent time with James during our recent Singapore visit.

We are delighted that James will ride three horses for Te Akau Singapore on Sunday - Dreamcatcher in Race 1, Charging Bull in Race 4 and Feisty Leo in the Group 1 S$1.15 million Singapore Derby.

The Singapore Turf Club reported:

The Singapore Turf Club has granted New Zealand jockey James McDonald a one-day licence to ride at the Emirates Singapore Derby meeting on 14 July 2013.

McDonald, 21, will be at his sixth visit at Kranji, having flown in mostly as a guest rider on short-term stays, with his latest invitation coming as recently as last May on Singapore Airlines International Cup night.

A former champion apprentice and senior champion jockey in New Zealand, McDonald has more than 900 winners to his name, and has smashed his country's record for most wins in a season with a haul of 207 wins in 2010/11.

Since his first Group 1 win in the 2008 New Zealand Breeders Stakes aboard (the David Ellis bred) Special Mission, McDonald has gone on to add 16 more Group 1 wins to his resume, including the 2012 Champions Mile aboard Xtension in Hong Kong, The Galaxy 2012 aboard Temple Of Boom at Randwick and a three-in-a-row aboard It's A Dundeel this year, the Royal Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby.

After riding successfully in Australia and Hong Kong, McDonald recently established himself in Sydney where he currently sits 12th on the Sydney jockey's premiership. He is currently still riding in England at a summer stint which included Royal Ascot, and which has up to now netted five wins from 59 rides.

McDonald goes to scale at 55kgs.