Racing: McDonald bounces back after roasting

Graeme Rogerson definitely wins quote of the week.

"I've been known to go off, you know," said Rogerson in the Te Rapa birdcage.

No kidding.

On the end of this "going off" was champion jockey James McDonald after he had finished fourth on the Rogerson-trained Endor in the NZ Bloodstock Insurance Premier.

"Did you see that ride, it was disgraceful?" fumed Rogerson.

"He missed the kick by four lengths then took off in the back straight and still ran fourth."

Rogerson told McDonald to "look out" if he rode another of the stable horses the same way.

Forty minutes later the pair were hugging, after McDonald rode a brilliant race to get stylish filly Scarlett Lady home in the feature $85,000 Travis Stakes.

"You know what I like about this kid, after I had given him a bagging he came back to me and apologised for the ride. He went up in my estimation for that."

McDonald promised Rogerson he would make it up to him for the Endor ride.

Even before the 19-year-old got off Scarlett Lady in the winner's weigh-in stall he said: "Did I get square?"

More than.

As a complete sideline to that story, it underlines the pressure of a 19-year-old being a country's champion jockey.

Particularly one who has set himself a target of breaking the record for number of wins in a season.

You almost always forget that they are 19.

Cracks can show - it got to Michael Walker when he was in exactly the same position McDonald finds himself in, and plenty before him.

You have to continually remind yourself what it was like to be 19.

You haven't just got Graeme Rogerson breathing down your neck, you have got the invisible hopes of thousands of punters to satisfy, often 10 times a day.

If all that wasn't intimidating enough, as McDonald went on to the track on Scarlett Lady, alongside Rogerson was the filly's Sydney owner Max Whitby, who looks like a pro wrestler from another life.

Class showed when McDonald cast all that aside to sit patiently at the back of a tightly packed field on Scarlett Lady, while he waited for a gap.

It came and Scarlett Lady produced the performance of the day to power through and down a classy field.

Max Whitby was a director of the Sydney Turf Club and is on the board of the newly-merged Australian Turf Club.

Whitby admits he's a big punter and the gigantic crack he had on Scarlett Lady, which saw the filly's odds tumble late, was another concrete block sitting on James McDonald's shoulder.

"I've had a great association for many years with Graeme and shared in the ownership of this filly's sire Savabeel," said Whitby.

Scarlett Lady now heads to Brisbane as does The Hombre, who impressed finishing third to Firebolt on Saturday.

"He's looking for further than 1600m," said James McDonald after The Hombre's race.

They are going to have to be good to beat Shez Sinsational in the Queensland Oaks.

The Taranaki filly threw out that tip when she dropped off the opposition by six lengths at Te Rapa.

Not only beat them by six, but had to do it tough before racing clear.

Opie Bosson had to use only a fraction of petrol to get the favourite over in to the one-by-one position leaving the home straight.

Of greater significance was Bosson deciding to sprint early at the 500m when he was worried about horses sprinting around him on the top bend and the potential to be shuffled back.

It meant Shez Sinsational was fractionally in front as far out as approaching the home bend.

But there was no vulnerability.

"I think she's improving," said trainer Allan Sharrock in admiration.

Sharrock deserves his own admiration for bypassing the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham with Shez Sinsational because he knew if he waited the filly would be more solid for Queensland.

"She was light in condition and didn't really have the ringcraft.

"Dad's [Bob Sharrock] got a share in her and I told him I was going to be patient. Lately, she hasn't left a feed and is now maintaining her bodyweight."

Sharrock has the option of putting Shez Sinsational on the Queensland flight on Wednesday for the Brisbane Roses, but will almost certainly take another choice and head home first.

"I'm sure I'll put her on the flight to Brisbane on the 18th and run in the Oaks on June 4."

Bosson was impressed.

"Things didn't really go our way, but in the finish it didn't make any difference."

Jeu de Cartes finished strongly down the centre of the track to cut Barbara Ann out of second.