After a tight battle with Ryan Moore, James McDonald has won the 2024 Longines World’s Best Jockey title.
The New Zealand-born, Australia-based jockey also won the Longines World’s Best Jockey Award in 2022.
To claim the title, McDonald won nine of the world’s Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races, with his qualifying victories coming in the Longines Hong Kong Mile (Romantic Warrior), Stewards’ Cup (Voyage Bubble), Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (Romantic Warrior), Ranvet Stakes (Via Sistina), FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Romantic Warrior), Yasuda Kinen (Romantic Warrior), Ladbrokes Cox Plate (Via Sistina), Darley Champions Sprint (Sunshine in Paris), and TAB Champions Stakes (Via Sistina).
The awarding of the Longines World’s Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee.
The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of the previous year until 30 November of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.
A ceremony will be held during the gala dinner of the Longines Hong Kong International Races on 6 December 2024 at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre to honour McDonald.
