t won't be in the immediate future, but superstar jockey James McDonald can "definitely" see himself making the move to Hong Kong later in his glittering career.

The 31-year-old, who has made plenty of hit-and-run missions to the racing mecca and just recorded a second straight Hong Kong Cup victory with Romantic Warrior, is in the middle of a six-week stint at Sha Tin and is relishing life in the high-intensity city.

While he still has plenty of goals to achieve in Australia – and he will return to Sydney when his current contract expires on January 1 – McDonald expects he will give Hong Kong a bigger commitment down the track.

"I really enjoy it here. It's a great place to ride and compete," he said.

"I'm staying here six weeks, it's just nice, a bit of a change and I'll definitely be going back home, but I could definitely see myself here eventually."

• J-Mac pilots Romantic Warrior to unprecedented Cox Plate-Hong Kong double

Romantic Warrior and J-Mac hold on to win the Hong Kong Cup! #HKRacingpic.twitter.com/EUd3ReUMQZ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 10, 2023

While the enormous prizemoney on offer and a 15 per cent tax rate are obviously big incentives to make the move, the lifestyle is also a major attraction, with races only on two days a week.

"The workload is a little bit less. I'm actually living on course and I find it fantastic," McDonald said.

"I enjoy walking down stairs, five minutes to trackwork. It's all set out in a routine, which I like.

"If there's a half-an-hour break I shoot home, see (daughter) Evie and then have a coffee and shoot back down. That I've really enjoyed.

"You're very structured – Sha Tin on a Sunday and Happy Valley on a Wednesday – you know what's going to happen."

• J-Mac falls foul of whip rules in Northerly Stakes second on Zaaki

“This is his best win by a mile.”

Hear from J-Mac following Romantic Warrior's Hong Kong Cup win ???? pic.twitter.com/a7CrYXVq8U

— Racing.com (@Racing) December 10, 2023

There is a big spotlight on racing in Hong Kong – it's the most scrutinised jurisdiction in the world – but that pressure to perform is something McDonald embraces.

"I enjoy that pressure," he said.

"As an athlete, as a competitor, you like eyeballs on you. It's an ego-driven sort of thing, you want to perform."

After seven Group 1 wins in the spring and with seven Sydney premierships under his belt, McDonald is enjoying the freedom to pick and choose how he divides his time.

"Now I'm getting a little bit older, I can structure the carnivals how I like," he said.

"I stayed in Melbourne for five weeks, now I'm here for six weeks – I want to do particularly well here and then back to Sydney for the autumn, which is a great carnival."