Silvestre de Sousa to appeal against ten-month ban from Hong Kong Jockey Club after betting charge

Silvestre de Sousa is to appeal against a ten-month ban handed to him on Friday by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) for a breach of betting rules.

A three-time champion jockey in Britain, De Sousa, 42, pleaded guilty to facilitating fellow jockey Vagner Borges in placing a bet on a horse but is understood to be shocked by the outcome of the hearing. De Sousa's appeal against the penalty was confirmed on Monday morning.

De Sousa's solicitor Harry Stewart-Moore said: "I can confirm that Silvestre will be lodging an appeal with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. In light of this, it would of course be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

At Friday's hearing with stewards, who received a report from the HKJC's department of racing integrity and betting analysis prior to making their decision, De Sousa and Borges were found in breach of rule 59 (3), which states "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 1m1f handicap at Happy Valley on April 26 in contravention of the rules. De Sousa "facilitated" Borges being able to bet on the horse. Young Brilliant finished seventh with De Sousa 11th on Satirical Glory.

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 ban the jockeys, HKJC stewards accepted the guilty pleas of both riders and noted that each had an "unblemished record in relation to betting offences".

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."

The bans De Sousa and Borgas received are the lengthiest given to jockeys by the HKJC since Nash Rawiller received a 15-month sentence in 2018 after being charged with accepting money or gifts in return for race tips.

Silvestre de Sousa: relocated to ride in Hong Kong at the end of last year having struggled to re-establish himself in BritainCredit: Edward Whitaker

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 (£7.7m/€8.8m) in prize-money.

A spokesman for the BHA said a request to reciprocate the ban 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.

Silvestre de Sousa: three-time champion jockey in BritainCredit: Edward Whitaker

The boy from Brazil: the ups and downs of Silvestre de Sousa's career

Silvestre de Sousa's ten-month ban imposed by the Hong Kong Jockey Club marks the latest twist in a career spanning over 20 years.

Having grown up around horses, De Sousa became an apprentice rider in Brazil aged 18 and was champion apprentice at Sao Paulo two years later.

At the age of 22, he left Brazil to work for Dermot Weld in Ireland but struggled to adapt to his new environment and to get rides, which led to him becoming home sick.

A chance meeting with David Nicholls at the Curragh led De Sousa to relocate to Yorkshire in 2004, riding for the first time the following year and riding his first winner on New Year's Day in 2006.

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, and De Sousa signed up as retained rider for Godolphin in 2012.

Riding primarily for Saeed bin Suroor, De Sousa secured his first Group 1 on Hunter's Light in the 2012 Premio Roma and landed further Group 1 success with the likes of Sajjhaa in the 2013 Dubai Duty Free Stakes, Farhh in the 2013 Lockinge and Champion Stakes and African Story in the 2014 Dubai World Cup.

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 a tactical masterclass on Arabian Queen to win the Juddmonte International. He also won the jockeys' championship in 2017 and 2018, having missed out to Jim Crowley in 2016.

Silvestre de Sousa celebrates winning the 2021 Nunthorpe Stakes on Winter Power for King Power RacingCredit: Edward Whitaker

In late 2018, De Sousa agreed to ride as retained jockey for Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha's King Power Racing, having met the owner on Champions Day at Ascot. Srivaddhanaprabha died in a helicopter crash in October 2018, and his son Aiyawatt took over the operation.

De Sousa rode for King Power for three years, winning Group 1s in the 2019 Champions Sprint on Donjuan Triumphant and the 2021 Nunthorpe on Winter Power. He was released from his role in November 2021.

Back riding as a freelance, De Sousa struggled to re-establish himself and announced at the end of last year he would be riding full-time in Hong Kong, having previously ridden there on short-term temporary licences.

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