International stage beckons for James McDonald after The Gong meeting

Australia's star rider James McDonald has virtually beaten all before him again this spring and now he's ready to take on the globe.

The seven-time premiership-winning jockey will ride for the final time this year in NSW this Saturday at Kembla Grange before jetting to Hong Kong on Saturday night.

Never one to shirk a challenge, McDonald will spend the next five weeks riding in the Asian racing mecca in what will be one of the longest overseas riding stints of his career.

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"It will be something a bit different," McDonald said.

"It was just really good timing and it's something I am really looking forward to actually.

"The most exciting part of being there will be the International Races and obviously riding Romantic Warrior, who is a superstar.

"It's enabled me to pick up a few more rides over that period. And the racing over the next five weeks in Hong Kong is fantastic.

"To be fair it's one of our quietest periods now so timing wise it's unreal and it's just good to get the opportunity and for the club to allow me to go for that long."

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McDonald has made a habit of making successful smash-and-grab visits to Hong Kong in recent years but his partnership with Romantic Warrior has been one of his most profitable.

He will reunite with the Danny Shum star, which he partnered to win the Cox Plate, in the lead up to their next Group 1 assault in the Hong Kong Cup on Sunday, December 10.

It shapes as another chance for McDonald to add to his ever growing group 1 haul.

That tally amazingly rose to 86 Group 1 wins during the spring carnival after banking seven majors throughout another remarkable carnival.

He started the carnival with a pair of major wins on Fangirl in the Winx Stakes and King Charles III Stakes at Royal Randwick before adding five more in Melbourne including Romantic Warrior's epic Cox Plate win.

The star rider also broke new ground with maiden wins in both the Victoria Derby on Riff Rocket and VRC Oaks on Zardozi.

"To win majors is so important and to win both Classics - the Oaks and the Derby - was special," he said.

"They are races I really enjoy riding in and two races I really wanted to do well in this year due to the fact I haven't had much luck previously.

"I think both horses will be really nice horses going forward."

McDonald, who added a Group 1 Thousand Guineas to his tally last weekend aboard Joliestar, is determined to keep the ball rolling as he prepares to head to Hong Kong this weekend.

"It was an unreal spring and I feel like I have plenty of momentum," he said.

"I've got the tail up and ready for a new challenge as well.

"It will be different people and a different jurisdiction which I am looking forward to and then rip into the New Year which I am already looking forward to with some of the horses that are having a well deserved rest at the moment."

McDonald has a massive chance to add one final spring feature to his name this Saturday when he pilots the Chris Waller-trained Osipenko in the $1 million The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.

Waller and McDonald combined to win the inaugural edition of The Gong with Mister Sea Wolf in 2019 with Osipenko a clear $3.50 favourite for both to claim their second.

"The spring hasn't gone his way but it started unbelievably well in the Winx Stakes where he rattled home and it was a huge run," McDonald said.

"He went to Melbourne and struck a slowly run mile and was back and was one of the closers behind Princess Grace, Alligator Blood and Mr Brightside.

"That was the race that's got all the form and then he went to 2000m in the Turnbull and it was fastly run, which I know all about it because I was up on the pace, he came circling round me so had no luck there.

"He's had a little freshen, mid-prep trial and should be ready to rock and roll."

Osipenko had been set to run in the Golden Eagle last start but had to be scratched due to an abscess.

McDonald expects the setback will have no impact on Osipenko's chances.

"He hasn't had much of a setback at all to be honest so he is back to a mile and it looks a lovely race for him to end his campaign," he said.

"Hopefully he gets a little bit of luck and gets a win on the board for the campaign.

"He is definitely the most talented horse in the race I would have thought, being a young entire.

"It looks a beautiful race for him from a lovely gate and he should get every chance on the big roomy Kembla track."

Godolphin sprinter Bacchanalia will give McDonald a terrific chance of snaring a feature double on the afternoon when in the $300,000 The Warra (1000m).

Bacchanalia failed to fire in his only spring run back in September at Caulfield before trainer James Cummings sent the son of Exceed And Excel for a short spell.

He is first up for 63 days in a competitive edition of The Warra that features stablemate and last year's winner Athelric.

"It's a competitive race the Warra but he is a good horse on his day," McDonald said.

"He has had a short spell up since his last run but he is definitely up to it if he gets the rub of the green."

Bacchanalia has been backed from $15 into $9 to win The Warra and will be McDonald's final ride before he departs for Hong Kong.

His Saturday hand has been reduced to five rides following the scratching of Danaustar from the Evergreen Turf Australia CG&E Benchmark 78 Handicap.

But McDonald is still confident he can strike early on the card with the John O'Shea-trained Junquiera in the PFD Food Services Fillies and Mares Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m).

"I would say Junquiera is probably my best ride outside of Osipenko," he said.

"She was really good there last start and I would expect her to be really hard to beat on Saturday."

He will also partner Unanimous (race 1) and Miss Ella (race six).