[1] Having been taught to ride horses by Dusty Sheehy, McDonald began his career as a jump jockey, with Padge Berry mentoring him as a point-to-point rider.
[2][1] Progressing slowly, his first major success as a flat jockey was winning the 2016 Yorkshire Cup on Clever Cookie, deputising for Danny Tudhope who has been injured in a fall the previous day.
[4] Returning to ride Laurens in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot Champions Day, he finished 8th behind Roaring Lion, but would win another Group One, the Prix Rothschild in July 2019.
[5] In July 2022 McDonald picked up a spare ride on 18/1 outsider Pyledriver, trained by William Muir and Chris Grassick, in the Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.
[7] He has been the Professional Jockeys' Association's safety officer in the North since 2010 and in July 2018 was appointed Flat President of the PJA, replacing Steve Drowne.