Cox Plate hopeful Te Akau Shark will be ridden by Sydney’s premiership winning jockey James McDonald when the Kiwi galloper makes his Australian debut in the Group 2 $200,000 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on September 7.

Jockey James McDonald, above, will ride Te Akau Shark in the 2019 Tramway Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Jamie Richards trainer Te Akau Shark is the winner of five of his seven race starts and has been marked at $15 in early betting for the 2019 Group 1 $5m Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 26.

Te Ahau Shark has had one run back from a spell for a second in the Group 2 NZ$100,000 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa in New Zealand on August 17 and Te Akau Racing confirmed McDonald’s booking for the Tramway Stakes on twitter today.

“Te Akau is proud to confirm that trans-Tasman Champion jockey James McDonald has been engaged to ride Te Akau Shark in the Grp 2 Tramway Stakes,” Te Akau Racing tweeted.

The Sydney based Kiwi jockey will take over the reins from Opie Bosson who has been on Te Akau Shark for four of his seven starts which includes his last two starts which resulted in a win in the Group 2 NZ$230,000 14th Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on November 14 and a last start second in the Foxbridge Plate.

Richards is also setting Te Akau Shark for the Group 1 $1m Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on October 5 and the five year old is the ruling $5 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au for the feature Randwick mile.

Pre-post betting at Ladbrokes.com.au for the 2019 Cox Plate: $4.80 Mystic Journey, $7 Avilius, $8 Lys Graceieux, $10 Danceteria, $12 Verry Elleegant, $15 Te Akau Shark, $16 Kluger, $18 Humidor, $19 Japan, Latrobe, $21 Hartnell, $31 Circus Maximus, Count Octave, Anthony Van Dyck, Johannes Vermeer, Rostropovich, Yucatan Ire, $41 or better the rest.