Yorkshire bragging rights claimed by Brazilian De Sousa as rival Hanagan closes in on retaining title

With Doncaster staging the final meeting of the 2011 Flat season on turf on Saturday, De Sousa has an unassailable lead in the county to land the Sky Bet Trophy as top rider on the Yorkshire courses for the first time, with 67 winners – 10 clear of Hanagan.

However, there is still everything to play for in the battle to be the leading trainer on the Yorkshire courses, with Malton trainers Tim Easterby (51 winners) and Richard Fahey (50) only separated by a solitary winner with the Sky Bet Trophy at stake.

Hanagan is on course to become national champion for the second successive season and he has been the leading rider in Yorkshire for the past four years, achieving a record total of 86 winners last year, with de Sousa runner-up with 64.

Fahey has been the leading trainer on the county’s courses for the past three seasons – his winning total last year was 66. Easterby was previously the top trainer in Yorkshire on three occasions – 1999, 2001 and 2002.

The Sky Bet Trophies will be presented to the respective winners at the ‘Go Racing in Yorkshire’ annual awards lunch in December.

Hanagan maintained his eight-winner advantage over Silvestre de Sousa on an eventful day in the jockeys’ championship.

A brilliant never-say-die ride from Hanagan on Intuition at Kempton last night briefly saw him go nine clear of his closest rival. He still had around five lengths to make up on leader Lady Gibraltar with just over a furlong to run in the Betdaq Multiples/British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes, but pulled it off. As the Harry Bentley-ridden leader started to tire, Hanagan’s mount lunged right on the line, getting the verdict by a nose.

However, Brazilian ace De Sousa hit straight back with a bloodless success on Saeed Bin Suroor’s Prince Bishop in the Listed Betdaq Mobile Apps Floodlit Stakes, meaning he ended the day on 156 winners to Hanagan’s 164.

De Sousa had been dealt a blow when travel complications on his return from Australia meant he gave up his afternoon rides at Nottingham, missing what would have been a winner on Fair Bunny to rub salt into the wounds.

Hanagan himself suffered a delay in getting to Kempton from Nottingham, and also missed a winner as Night Flash took division one of the nursery. The pair are both scheduled for action today at Southwell and Wolverhampton.