Look Who’s Riding In The World Sports Betting Met

The Zimbabwe-born Daniel Muscutt becomes the third UK-based jockey after Frankie Dettori (2018) and Ryan Moore (2020) in recent years to add an international flavour to Met day, when he takes the ride on past Cape Guineas winner Double Superlative for Justin Snaith in the World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Town Met showpiece.

The 28 year Newmarket-based son of leading KZN trainer Peter Muscutt told the Sporting Post that he was looking forward to returning to the Cape, where he rode as an apprentice for Brett Crawford and Stephen Page, and says that the decision to travel came out of the blue – literally!

“Dad called me after the L’Ormarins King’s Plate and suggested I come out for a week, and that I could take a few race rides. It’s been six years since I rode for him in South Africa, and we have had little quality Father-Son time together in the interim. Things are quiet now on the racing front here at home, so I jumped at the opportunity to also get some sun on my back. I am so looking forward to the visit and the chance to see old friends and what I believe is a fantastic new-look Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Racecourse.”

Daniel and his wife Claire have a beautiful daughter that has added a precious new dimension to their lives since her joyous arrival in July.

He says that he is super grateful for the blessing, and has enjoyed being a Dad.

“It’s a big life adjustment, and with the travelling 350 days a year and 7 days a week, I am away from home a lot. But Claire has been amazing and I really cannot take the credit for too much,” he adds humbly.

Daniel will be travelling to Cape Town on his own.

“Florence is only just six months old, and has not flown before. It’s a long flight, so we decided to rather plan to do the family trip in 2025 when she’s a little bit older. Claire is looking forward to it as she has never been to Africa.”

The logistics of plying his trade as a jockey out of Newmarket, saw Daniel doing an extraordinary 60 000 miles (you read that number right!) in a year, up and down the motorways.

That’s 96 500km in our terms, or the equivalent of five return trips by road from Cape Town to Cairo!

“It’s been a bit quiet as expected over winter, so I have focussed on a balance of more family time and took a break over Christmas. When it comes to the heat of the season, it’s a non stop seven days a week!” he explains as he points out that Newmarket has 3 tracks maybe an hour and a half away, and the rest are further.

Read about the big race here.

“So realistically I am behind the wheel for three to four hours many days. But I wouldn’t change my career for anything and the rewards are there for commitment and hard work. Things are really going well – I have reached 100 winners each year for the last two years, and am very proud of that,” he remarks as he chats to us after booting home the interestingly named Aidan Andabettin at Kempton Park.

On the development of his career, and his role as an ambassador as Hollywoodbets’ first Northern Hemisphere-sponsored jockey, Daniel says that things have been going ‘very well’.

“It’s very competitive out here. The weighing room is filled with lots of good jockeys, and couple that with a gruelling schedule, and one can really never rest on your laurels, ever!”

He says that on a personal professional level he doesn’t set himself ‘lofty’ targets and goals, and rather aims at 50 winners as a start.

“It can make it a very long year if you have a big target in mind. So I set 50. Once I have 50, I turn the clock to 100. That way, when things go against you – as they sometimes do and there are many variables – they are easier to mind manage.”

Daniel’s victory on Diderot at Lingfield Park’s All-Weather Vase Day saw him crowned All-Weather Champion Jockey for the first time in April last year, and that’s a career highlight he is very proud of.

“That felt really good after the long slog, and the cold evenings. And I also like to stay busy on the all-weather as it keeps my weight in check,” he says with a smile.

With the large variety of racing in the UK, Danny says that he is always looking for ‘Saturday horses’ that will develop into pattern quality types in time.

“The good horses are not always easy to find, and even more difficult to stay on, given the surplus of really good riders here. But I have a really great bunch of trainers with decent ammunition supporting me. The likes of James Ferguson, James Fanshawe, Kevin Philippart De Foy and George Scott, have been good to me.”

In what will be an enormous change of scenery from going around the all-weather tracks at home, Daniel takes seven rides on World Sports Betting Met day, including Double Superlative in the WSB Gr1 Cape Town Met, and former champion speedster Rio Querari in the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship.

“My Dad is excited about Isivunguvungu in the Cape Flying Championship. I saw he ran a cracker on his return recently. Naturally I would love to have ridden him, but Rio Querari is no slouch. I don’t know too much about my other rides, but they all come from top yards and I am so looking forward to the privilege of riding on what is an internationally recognised raceday.”

Daniel says that he would also really love to ride a winner on the big day for his sponsors, Hollywoodbets.

“I follow the SA racing and the news, and it’s amazing to read and hear about what Hollywoodbets have done for racing over the past few years. It’s an honour to carry the brand and this is a wonderful opportunity for me.”

Daniel certainly has a pedigree to make it to the top in this tough game. He hails from a family steeped in horseracing.

Besides his father’s credentials as one of South Africa’s most internationally experienced conditioners, his grandfather was a jockey and trainer, and his late uncle also rode professionally.

Daniel grew up in West Wales and has realised his childhood ambition, serving as an apprentice jockey under Andrew Balding at Kingsclere.

• The first race on World Sports Betting Cape Town Met day is off at 11h55.