Escaping flood carnage to top Goodwood jockey - PJ McDonald's charmed week

In a week where so much could have gone so wrong PJ McDonald had one to remember as he was not only crowned top jockey at Glorious Goodwood but also returned home to find his house in one piece.

McDonald lives in Leyburn, North Yorkshire, which has been hit by devastating floods, but his home miraculously avoided any damage.

The 37-year-old said on Sunday: "On Tuesday night, which was the first night we stayed down in Goodwood, my wife mentioned things popping up on social media that there were floods in the area, and we could tell from some of the pictures that it was near our house.

PJ McDonald is crowned top jockey of the Qatar Goodwood festival with four winsCredit: Edward Whitaker

"Then we got a call from the insurance company asking if we wanted to make a claim, and we were thinking 'oh my God'!

"I asked my friend to go round and have a look, and lucky enough it had missed our house. It flooded two doors down and actually went into my garden, but it hit the back of our house and went straight down either side of it. We were so lucky."

McDonald was counting his lucky stars on Tuesday, but his week was only going to get better. The rider finished Glorious Goodwood with four wins from 24 rides, including a 220-1 double on the opening day.

McDonald's fantastic four winners

Green Power – 5f Chelsea Barracks Handicap, Tuesday
Maid For Life – 1m Unibet Fillies' Handicap, Tuesday
Celsius – 5f Tatler Handicap, Thursday
Duke Of Hazzard – Group 3 Thoroughbred Stakes, Friday

He said: "It was a very nice achievement. We had a little bit of luck along the way which everybody needs but it's a nice feather in my cap.

"Duke Of Hazzard and maybe Mighty Spirit were my only fancied rides of the week, so to win the Thoroughbred Stakes was pretty cool.

"But then each winner had its own little quirks. To see John Gallagher's face when I came in after winning that handicap on Green Power – giving a small trainer a win at Glorious Goodwood – I got a great kick out of that.

"To hold off some top-class riders and finish above them is unbelievable. With the likes of Frankie, Doyler [James Doyle] and Jim Crowley in the mix, and then there's little old me at the top! I was very proud to be honest."

Duke Of Hazzard: won the Thoroughbred Stakes under PJ McDonaldCredit: Mark Cranham

The jockey had a five-hour drive back home from Goodwood with his family and was up bright and early on Sunday morning to fly to Deauville to ride Invincible Army in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

"I had my wife and kids down at Goodwood with me but had to go home to pick my passport up!" he said. "It would have been a little unfair on my wife if I'd left her to travel back on her own with two kids for five hours."

The leading rider prize – sponsored by Racing TV – included a £1,000 charity donation, which McDonald gave to Jack Berry House.

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