Billy Slater wowed viewers across the country while covering the Melbourne Cup carnival for Channel Nine and now one of the country’s best jockeys has heaped praise on the NRL leaders. Slater was seen interviewing jockeys who won on Derby Day and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday and fans can’t get enough of him on social media.
However, on Melbourne Cup day, Slater faced a bit of a problem when he had to continue his interview with James MacDonald after the jockey had won. Slater half-jokingly said there were no more questions after the jockey had won two of the first three races and McDonald’s had made it seven wins in the first three days of the carnival.
The jockey showed why many consider him the best jockey in the world with a gutsy run to win the Red Roses Stakes (1100m) on Thursday. Dressed in the silks of renowned Winx champion Chris Waller, McDonald narrowly edged out $11 Amelita to win the Group 3 race by three-quarters of a length over Vestas. . McDonald has the chance to build on a record 10th Carnival Cup win when he rides a variety of horses on Champions Stakes Day at Flemington on Saturday. The 32-year-old jockey will compete in all three Group 1 races at Flemington on Saturday but said the idea of breaking his own record was not on his mind.
“Honestly, we have a long way to go,” McDonald told reporters on Friday. “There are three draws and four wins left. “I have a strong travel book and once everything was put together it was a lot of fun. Yesterday we had three seconds and it was against us.
“It was a bit of a disappointing day until the last races. I had a few seconds and could easily pass in either direction. But I’m looking forward to tomorrow and I can respect some people.”
Top jockey James Mcdonald puts in a big lap for Billy Slater
All eyes at Flemington will be on McDonald, with fans anxiously awaiting Slater’s comeback and whether he can continue to make Australian racing history. The NRL great is a former track jockey and runs his own thoroughbred farm with his wife Nicole, and McDonald said his passion and knowledge of horse racing was a real asset to the Nine Network presentation.
McDonald compared the Melbourne Cup carnival to the State of Origin series for jockeys and said Slater was in a unique position to understand the magnitude of it and what it meant to them. The 32-year-old jockey said it was also an honor to share his success with someone he admires and looks up to as one of modern rugby league’s greatest. “From a personal point of view, it was very good,” said the pilot. “He’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen. So he knows very well what it is. In fact, this is also our origin and it really feels and jumps. “It’s definitely an honor and a privilege to be able to speak with him after the race.”
