Silvestre de Sousa has been suspended for 10 months by the Hong Kong Jockey Club after pleading guilty to a betting charge May 12.
A three-time champion jockey in Britain, De Sousa, 42, pleaded guilty alongside Vagner Borges, a fellow Brazilian rider based in Hong Kong, who was banned for 12 months by HKJC stewards. Both suspensions begin immediately, ruling De Sousa out until March 12, 2024, and Borges until May 12, 2024.
Both riders were found in breach of rule 59 (3), which says that “no jockey shall bet, or facilitate the making of a bet, or have any interest in a bet, on any race or any contingency relating to a race meeting”.
According to a media release from the HKJC, Borges bet on his mount, Young Brilliant, in a handicap at Happy Valley April 26 in contravention of the rules. De Sousa “facilitated” Borges being able to bet on the horse, who finished seventh.
Jockey Vagner Borges
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The HKJC statement said that “there was no evidence before the stewards that jockeys Borges and De Sousa had ridden their horses in the respective race with any intention other than to obtain the best possible placing for their mounts.”
In reaching the decision to suspend both riders, HKJC stewards accepted the guilty pleas of both riders and each had an “unblemished record in relation to betting offenses.”
However, the stewards added: “It is fundamental to the integrity of racing that jockeys are not permitted to bet or to have an interest in a bet.”
De Sousa relocated to ride in Hong Kong at the end of last year having struggled to re-establish himself following his release from his role as retained jockey for Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha’s King Power Racing operation in November 2021.
Since moving to Hong Kong, De Sousa has ridden 45 winners and sits fifth in the jockeys’ championship. His mounts have earned HK$75,597,985 in prize money.
A spokesman for the British Horseracing Authority said a request to reciprocate the suspension given to De Sousa would be issued by the HKJC, although the rider would be able to contest it in Britain if he wished to do so.
The Boy From Brazil: The Ups and Downs of Silvestre de Sousa’s Career
Silvestre de Sousa’s 10-month suspension imposed by the HKJC marks the latest twist in a career spanning more than 20 years.
Having grown up around horses, De Sousa became a top rider in Brazil before later experiencing success in Europe.
Establishing himself as a force on the northern circuit in Britain, De Sousa rode 100 winners for the first time in 2010 having started to ride more frequently for powerhouse trainer Mark Johnston. The following year he was second to Paul Hanagan in the jockeys’ championship.
Such results caught the attention of Sheikh Mohammed, with De Sousa signed up as retained rider for Godolphin in 2012. Teaming with Godolphin, he notched multiple group 1 victories.
De Sousa was released from his Godolphin role in 2015 and won the first of his jockeys’ titles that year, with his big-race victories including Arabian Queen to win the Juddmonte International Stakes (G1). He would also take the jockeys’ championship in 2017 and 2018, having missed out to Jim Crowley in 2016.
