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Stuart McDonald’s successful stint in Victoria is about to come to an end with the Group 1-winning reinsman set to return to Western Australia.
McDonald has taken up an opportunity with champion WA trainer Gary Hall Senior and will travel back “home” at the end of this month.
The 27-year-old moved from the west to Victoria in April last year and began employment with fellow Kiwi native Nathan Purdon at his Avalon base.
During that time he drove 17 winners, highlighted by the Group 1 Ladyship Cup with Purdon-trained mare Spellbound.
McDonald also embarked on a training career while in Victoria and prepared Total Eclipse for wins at Melton and Bendigo.
“I’ve accomplished some of the things I wanted to accomplish while I was over here, but I miss home,” McDonald said.
“I won plenty of races at Melton, I won races at other tracks, won a Group 1 and missed out on Group 1s in Queensland and Sydney, so I’d say it (the time in Victoria) was not too bad… I love the place.
“I want to start getting into training and to do that I’ve got to go back to Perth. That’s my best chance.”
McDonald first moved to Western Australia from New Zealand in 2011 and worked for Gary Hall Senior for over three years before making the move to Victoria.
He was second string driver for the stable during that time and won the $300,000 2020 Fremantle Pacing Cup with Caviar Star.
