MARK DU PLESSIS IS ABOUT TO REALISE A CHILDHOOD DREAM WITH A DURBAN JULY RIDE IN SOUTH AFRICA

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, July 1, 2026

“It’s been a childhood dream for me to have a ride in the race,” said Mark Du Plessis, referring his upcoming ride in South Africa’s signature race, the Durban July, which will take place on Saturday at the Greyville racetrack.

Du Plessis will ride the Peter Muscutt trained I Salute You in the big race where he will turn that childhood dream into reality, courtesy of the support Muscutt, Du Plessis’s long-time friend.

“Pete’s known that I’ve wanted a July ride ever since I’ve known Pete, so that’s a good, thirty odd years,” explained Du Plessis.

“When Pete knew he had a good chance of getting two runners in the race … he said, ‘I think they will get in … will you come over and ride?’ I said, ‘of course.’

“I couldn’t say no. I might never get another chance.

“It’s been such a long time waiting for this opportunity, but I always had the feeling it was going to happen.”

I Salute You, who has recorded five wins and five placings from eighteen starts, finished second in his last outing over 1800m when getting a good look at the Greyville track. He carried 59kg that day in a Group 3 contest, and he drops 4.5kg in the weight scale for the July where he now comes in on the 54.5kg mark.

‘We are drawn a little bit tricky (I salute You is horse number fourteen, drawn number fourteen), but going through it, it might not be so bad,” said Du Plessis. “He was a bit unlucky. He dwelt at the start in his last run which might have cost him.

“In the homework I have done on the horse it looks like he wants the 2200m.

“I was in the last year of my apprenticeship in Zimbabwe when Pete came up from Cape Town and took over the Muscutt string from his father and we hit it off very well, and I used to ride for him.

“Then I went to Singapore when Pete was there and I rode the first winner for him in Singapore, so we’ve got a long history and a very good one. He is a very good friend of mine.

“I last ride in South Africa in 1998. I last rode at Greyville in 1994.”

I Salute You is currently a $40 chance.

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