Silvestre De Sousa celebrated his first full season in the UAE with a maiden jockey’s championship title.
The Brazilian, who has ridden over 4,000 winners around the world, topped the chart with 54 winners, seven ahead of the 12-time UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea.
The two men had been neck and neck, but De Sousa increased his lead to five after steering the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Dubai Future home in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at the Dubai World Cup meeting, and had the championship virtually in the bag with the last two meetings to go in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.
De Sousa’s success was achieved through fantastic partnerships with Emirati trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri and the Purebred Arabian powerhouse of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Yas Racing, the champion trainer and owners, respectively, of the 2024/25 season.
De Sousa rounded off the season by riding the Majid Al Jaoori-trained So’ud to victory in the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 in the silks of Yas Racing at the Abu Dhabi Turf Club on Saturday.
“I'm just delighted with the kind of season I've had, especially to be the leading rider in my first full season in the UAE,” De Sousa told The National.
“It's not easy and that too in my first time in a full season in the UAE. I’m grateful for the support I received from trainer Musabbeh and the owners this season.”
De Sousa, 44, is a three-time British champion jockey (2015, 2017 and 2018) and winner of the 2014 Dubai World Cup on the Bin Suroor-trained African Story, also in the royal blue silks.
He was champion apprentice in Brazil before leaving for Ireland in 2010 and England the following year, establishing himself as one of the leading jockeys in the world.
“I've been around the world. And yeah, I think when you put everything in your career, it's nice to see it pay off,” he said.
“Obviously, I have many people to thank for the successful season I had in the UAE. It was great riding for trainer Musabbeh and Sheikh Mansour’s Yas Racing. I have been to the UAE for a long time but never thought I would ride a full season until this time.
“It was a really nice feeling to win the championship title and also winning the Dubai Gold Cup for Godolphin at the Dubai World Cup meeting. Yeah, I’m taking back a lot of good memories from the UAE this time.
“I go everywhere trying to ride winners and ride some nice horses. It's nice to have a win on the final night in the silks of Sheikh Mansour’s Yas Racing.”
De Sousa made his first visit to the UAE to ride in a few meetings in the 2004/05 season and returned in 2012 to ride his first winner on Bin Suroor’s Songcraft in the Godolphin silks.
He won the 2014 Dubai World Cup on African Story for Bin Suroor and Godolphin and counts 166 winners overall in the UAE.
For Al Mheiri, one of the longest serving trainers in the country, it was his second trainer’s title after previously saddling 49 winners in the 2014/15 season.
“I’m grateful to the owners who had faith in me, and yes, it’s my best ever season and a really tough one to finish on top of the charts,” the Emirati trainer said.
“It was really nice to have had Silvestre on many of my horses. He was brilliant and he’s a three-time British champion jockey.
“To saddle winners nowadays is so tough with so many trainers and good horses at every stable. So, winning the trainer’s title this time around definitely is a better season for me, personally."
