Marathon man Muscutt finds alternative route to success around Newmarket

What do you do if the race you have trained for all winter is called off? Run anyway - that is what Daniel Muscutt did and the National Trust is more than £1,200 better off as a result.

The Flat jockey, who has made his best ever start to the season, had been due to tackle the Brighton Marathon, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

But Muscutt was in shape and had come through a prep run in the Cambridge half marathon, so he took to the streets regardless, setting off from his home in Chippenham and slogging 26.2 miles alone through the towns and villages around Newmarket on Sunday.

Full profile of Daniel Muscutt

"I'd trained for it all winter and I was disappointed it wasn't on after putting the hard work in and it was going to be my first marathon so I sorted out a route," Muscutt, 24, said. "I'd done a lot of training runs so I had a few ideas in my head as to where to go.

"It wasn't easy but I got into a good rhythm from the start and I paced myself - I've done a lot of work on that in training. I did it in three hours 23 minutes and I was pleased with that."

"I was a little bit stiff afterwards but nothing untoward, I rode out on Monday morning as normal."

Muscutt was pounding the streets on behalf of the National Trust and added: "I'm a member and they were looking for fundraisers - I've raised just over £1,200 for them.

"I'd love to run in a proper marathon and go under three hours. The adrenaline of having a crowd and other runners would help - I'd done a couple of half marathons but nothing on the same same scale as Cambridge and I took eight minutes off my personal best there."

Daniel Muscutt: 'My aim for the season was to get to 50 winners'Credit: David Carr

He is also eyeing a personal best on the racecourse, having already ridden 19 winners in 2020 before racing was shut down last month.

"It's been my best start to the year and my aim for the season was to get to 50 winners," said Muscutt, who rides mainly for James Fanshawe and Marco Botti. "I hope it hasn't hindered me too much in the attempt, fingers crossed I can pick up where I left off.

"It's frustrating but I hope that things are going the right way and we'll get racing back on - but the health of everyone is the most important thing.

"I'm enjoying the chance to ride out more and get to know more of the two-year-olds earlier than I usually would had we been racing as normal. You have to see your glass as half-full not half-empty."

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