New Zealand-born McDonald is the second Australian-based rider to win the Longines World's Best Jockey Award, following Hugh Bowman's efforts in 2017. 

In 2022, McDonald won nine of the world’s Top 100 Group or Grade 1 races aboard five different horses. His qualifying victories came in the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Home Affairs), TAB Chipping Norton Stakes (Verry Elleegant), Sky Racing Active Rosehill Guineas (Anamoe), Furphy T J Smith Stakes (Nature Strip), Schweppes All Aged Stakes (Cascadian), Winx Stakes (Anamoe), Fujitsu General George Main Stakes (Anamoe), Neds Might And Power Stakes (Anamoe), and Ladbrokes Cox Plate (Anamoe). 

Finishing third in the 2021 competition, McDonald won this year’s award by an impressive margin of 46 points. The scoring process rewards jockeys for finishing in the top three, giving McDonald a total of 142 points on the year. Ryan Moore, who has won the Longines World’s Best Jockey title three times, finished second with 96 points, while William Buick was third with 78 points. 

The awarding of the Longines World’s Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of the previous year until 30 November of the current year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.