'I was dying inside. It was the sort of feeling you never want to have again'
Julian Muscat meets the jockey whose King George triumph put smiles on faces
Unbridled rejoicing accompanied Pyledriver's recent victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. It was a fanfare for the common man when the horse nobody wanted triumphed for his band of small owners and a stable that hadn't previously trained a Group 1 winner until Pyledriver came along.
Yet perhaps the most heartwarming aspect was the winning jockey. PJ McDonald could barely contain himself when he was interviewed in the saddle straight after the race. He was joy personified, amplifying his thoughts with alacrity as a journeyman who'd been handed the chance of a lifetime.
McDonald is still abuzz two weeks later as he relives the moment. "It took a while to sink in," he says. "A lot of people are still congratulating me wherever I go."
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Published on inInterviews
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- 'You can see why people end up struggling - when you're trying to pay the electric bill, losing one ride can be massive'
- 'I've never paid six figures for a horse and never will - I learned pretty quickly you're only one phone call away from f*** all'
- 'I’ve trained some fabulous horses, worked with some excellent riders - maybe I have brought a little bit of talent to the table as well'
- ‘When you’re in the moment and you’re starved, you’re ready to explode - everything built up and I just lost my s**t’
- 'He must have his breakfast earlier than Willie does' - Patrick Mullins goes behind enemy lines at Gordon Elliott's yard