'Heartbroken' Brendan Holland leads tributes to Valdir de Souza after death aged 49

Valdir de Souza at Navan in 2011Credit: Patrick McCann

Valdir de Souza, a prominent figure on the breeze-up circuit and a stakes-winning jockey, has died in hospital from injuries sustained in an accident at Grove Stud.

The Brazilian native had been a key member of the team at Brendan Holland's County Cork stud for more than a decade, and the leading breeze-up consignor posted heartfelt tributes to De Souza on Grove Stud's social media accounts.

A post on Grove Stud's X account read: "A good man left us today and is gone straight to heaven...a consummate professional and as nice a person as you could wish to meet...from all your friends past and present @grovestud...Rest in peace Valdi...Heartbroken."

Tributes poured in from De Souza's many friends in the close-knit breeze-up community with a particularly poignant post on the Instagram account of Anna Calder and messages of support from across the sector including sales company Arqana.

Liam McActeer (left), Valdir de Souza and Peculiar Prince after victory at the Galway RacesCredit: Caroline Norris

Prior to his role with Grove Stud, De Souza had success on the track and rode for leading trainers including John Murphy, Willie McCreery and Tom Mullins.

His first rides and wins in Ireland came 19 years ago, when he struck up a successful relationship with Liam McAteer, for whom he rode Majestic Times to win the Listed Abergwaun Stakes at Cork in 2005, having partnered the gelding when third to Presto Shinko in the Ayr Gold Cup.

For Andrew Kinsella he rode Rock Of Rochelle to win the Blenheim Stakes and was on board when the Rock Of Gibraltar colt tackled the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes won by Dark Angel.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be made public.