FORMER champion jockey Declan McDonogh is to spend the winter riding in Australia.

McDonogh (37), who is attached to the John Oxx stable and enjoyed Group 2 success this year on the Gordon Elliott-trained Beckford, departs on November 20th for a 10-week period to be based with the father-and-son team of Peter and Paul Snowden.

The Snowdens trained Redzel to bag the richest prize in turf racing, the A$5.8m cheque available to the winner of The Everest at Randwick a fortnight ago.

The link was established by virtue of a friendship with Hugh Bowman, the jockey of record-breaking mare Winx, which was fostered when the Australian star rode out at Kevin Prendergast’s a decade ago.

“Hughie’s been on to me a couple of years to go out and did all the legwork in organising it for me” said McDonogh. “He is going to be in Japan and his agent is going to look out for me. I’ll just go over there and throw myself into it.

“I’ve done two winters in Japan and I did a winter in Singapore. The racing in Singapore is probably similar as you’ve a lot of Australian connections there.

“One meeting a week in Dundalk is not beneficial to me really as a rider at this stage of my career and the boss wouldn’t have too many for the all-weather anyway. It’s another experience. If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’ll always stay the same. You can’t be afraid of change.

“I will be back early in February, in plenty of time for the start of the turf season here.”