Boy from Brazil still dreaming after glory of Ascot

Never write off Silvestre de Sousa, the boy from Brazil who simply does not know when he is beaten.

He was told he would never kick-start his riding career in Ireland because he could not speak a word of English. He did – thanks to the faith shown by Dermot Weld.

He was told he would never ride 100 winners in a season, after Dandy Nicholls persuaded him to leave the Weld stable and ply his trade in Yorkshire. He achieved this benchmark of excellence last year for the first time.

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And, when it was suggested that it would very difficult to replicate that success, de Sousa notched up his quickest half-century of winners yet – successes that included two landmark Royal Ascot triumphs last week which reaffirmed his status as Flat racing’s newest star.

In conversation, de Sousa is a shy celebrity. His mantra is simply to “work harder” rather than any pretension to usurp Malton-based Paul Hanagan as champion jockey and Cock o’ the North, the accolade presented to the most prolific Flat jockey in these parts and staged by the Yorkshire Post in conjunction with Racing For Change.

Yet, while the 29-year-old plays down his ambitions, despite moving to within 12 winners of Hanagan in this year’s title race which is becoming a four-way fight that also includes former winner Ryan Moore and last year’s runner-up Richard Hughes, he would not be a surprise winner.

Far from it. The Brazilian, who lives in Thirsk with his partner Victoria Behan, an accomplished rider, and their four-year-old son Ryan, has struck up an effective partnership with top Middleham trainer Mark Johnston.

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Some will argue that de Sousa was the beneficiary of the costly suspension that Frankie Dettori picked up in the Oaks, but there is no guarantee that Johnston would have used the Italian’s services on Namibian and Fox Hunt even if Flat racing’s most charismatic rider had been available.

With Joe Fanning, one of Johnston’s regular riders now sidelined for six weeks with a broken heel bone, suffered in a fall, de Sousa has already picked up two winning spares – and rides the trainer’s quietly-fancied English Summer in tomorrow’s Northumberland Plate.

“I’ll tell you why I need the winners, it’s for all the phone calls home,” jokes de Sousa. “Royal Ascot was expensive. The family back home were following me on the internet. They couldn’t believe it when Namibian won. And when Fox Hunt won the next day, they were very surprised. Pleased as well.”

One of 10 siblings, de Sousa only became committed to a riding career 11 years ago when he had a chance meeting with Fausto Durso, Sao Paulo’s champion jockey. From then onwards, he has not looked back – though a broken arm delayed his progress for a year before he made the life-changing journey to Ireland.

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Understandably, one of his biggest challenges was explaining the pomp and pageantry of Royal Ascot to his relatives.

“It is different to any other racing in the world, but their support means a lot to me,” he said. “If I’m honest, Royal Ascot meant a lot to me. It puts your name on the map. I still haven’t got over it. I’m still waiting for the dream to end. Winning the Queen’s Vase on Namibian was special, my first winner. I got a three-day ban for careless riding – but I think that was harsh.

“My horse hung but Solar Sky went ahead and then Namibian found a bit more. I don’t really understand it, it was still a nice way to land my 50th winner. He will improve and could be a Group One horse, possibly even a St Leger horse.

“To win on Fox Hunt at Epsom on Derby day, and then at Royal Ascot in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes... as I told you, I’m still waiting for the dream to end!”

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It is not just being with the right stable that helps – de Sousa also rides out regularly for Thirsk’s Geoff Harker and Nawton-based David O’Meara – but backing up horsemanship with the necessary tactical acumen. A recent ride at Sandown was indicative of this. While most of the field tacked over to the standside rails in the search of better ground, de Sousa saved vital ground by staying on the far side, the shortest route home, before prevailing on Law Of The Range with a power-packed ride that is the Brazilian’s trademark.

Like many of his rides, he was capitalising on the misfortune of others – Seb Sanders was stuck in traffic.

It was, however, an obvious decision to book de Sousa, according to the owner Chris McHale’s son, James, who said: “When we knew Seb was held up, we snapped up Silvestre. He’s one of the best jockeys in the country.”

De Sousa smiles and says: “It’s nice when people say such things, but I must keep improving

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“The support of Mr Johnston is a big boost to my confidence but I do not regard myself as a possible champion jockey – I have a lot of things to work on.

“One thing at a time. I’d like to have a Group One winner, and then some rides in the Classics but I must keep working or I won’t ride horses like Namibian.”

The conversation is then briefly interrupted by his laughing son. “Ryan was shouting at the television during Royal Ascot and told all his friends ‘Daddy rides a winner’.”

It will not be the last time that he does so.

Makin delight after his ‘little freak’ hits form

Jockey Phillip Makin labels his Norfolk Stakes winner Bapak Chinta “a little freak” as a crack at the Nunthorpe Stakes remains on the cards.

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In maintaining his unbeaten record in the Group Two event, having earlier in the season beaten Windsor Castle winner Frederick Engels in a maiden at Hamilton, Chinta provided Makin with his first Royal Ascot winner.

Now connections are eyeing an even bigger prize by lining up in the Nunthorpe Stakes, one of the centre pieces of the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival.

It is easy to see why. Trained by Kevin Ryan, the Speightstown colt would receive lumps of weight from his elder rivals if he runs in the York race on August 19.

“He’s a special little horse,” said Makin, who lives in Thirsk. “Every bit of work he’s done you’d have to be impressed with him. He’s just a little freak, he’s only small but he doesn’t feel small when you’re sat on him.

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“He’s go so much ability it’s scary. Kevin mentioned the Nunthorpe because he’d get a lot of weight, so he’d have to have a chance in that.”

While Makin’s accomplishments were upstaged by the two winners ridden by Silvestre de Sousa, who also lives in Thirsk, it shows once again the positive impact of Malton’s Paul Hanagan proving that the North can produce champion jockeys.

There is certainly no reason why de Sousa and Makin cannot compete, regularly, at the biggest meetings.

They just need the horsepower that the likes of Ryan Moore, Richard Hughes and William Buick can take for granted.