DU PLESSIS DEDICATES HIS DOUBLE TO BRIAN MUSCUTT

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, June 1, 2022

A winning double at Doomben on June 1 provided jockey Mark Du Plessis with a very welcome success.

“It was needed, let me tell you,”admitted Du Plessis, who has had a frustrating time lately over the Queensland Winter Carnival during which most of the prime rides went to visiting jockeys.

But apart from the satisfaction the two gave him, Du Plessis had someone else first and foremost in his mind.

“Today especially, having a good day was important, and I would like to dedicate this to an old mentor of mine, Brian Muscutt, who sadly passed away yesterday in the UK,” said Du Plessis.

“Mr Muscutt was also like a father-figure to me and, as I say, I would like to dedicate these two to him. I didn’t mention it in the post-race interview because it would have been a bit difficult to say.

“I was never apprenticed to him, but I did ride a lot for him as an apprentice … and his son, Peter, was one of my very best friends who trained in Singapore. I rode his first winner there.

"Peter was previously an assistant trainer to David Payne in South Africa and he also spent several years working under Chris Waller in Sydney.

“My family was completely green to racing … never sat on a horse … so to have somebody like Brian in my corner was a helluva help for me the whole way through.

“Brian was quietly spoken but, having been a champion jockey himself, he knew what he was talking about, and I was lucky enough to be able to benefit from his mentorship for which I will always be grateful.

“These wins are for him!”

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