Jockey Silvestre De Sousa banned for 10 months after pleading guilty to betting charge
Three-time British champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa is BANNED from Hong Kong for 10 months after admitting helping Brazilian rider Victor Borges bet on the horse he was riding
- De Sousa, 42, has been suspended after pleading guilty to a bet
- Borges was suspended for one year by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for the same offence
- De Sousa made sure that Borges could bet on his horse Young Brilliant
Three-time British champion jockey Silvestre De Sousa was suspended for 10 months by the Hong Kong Jockey Club on Friday after pleading guilty to betting.
The Brazilian rider and his compatriot Victor Borges, who was suspended for a year, were caught violating a rule that says “no jockey may bet, or facilitate the making of a bet, or have any interest in a bet, at any race or any contingency related to a race meeting’.
According to a statement from HKJC, De Sousa, 42, arranged for Borges to bet on his mount Young Brilliant, who finished seventh with a handicap at Happy Valley on April 26.
The statement added ‘there was no evidence to the stewards that jockeys Borges and De Sousa had ridden their horses in the respective race for any purpose other than to obtain the best possible placement for their mounts’.
De Sousa’s 10-month suspension runs until March 12 next year, while Borges is suspended until May 12, 2024.
Silvestre de Sousa has been suspended for 10 months after pleading guilty to a bet
It is unknown if either rider intends to appeal the length of the suspensions, but as the duo have admitted their guilt, an appeal seems unlikely. Integrity among jockeys is taken very seriously in Hong Kong with severe penalties for infractions.
De Sousa, British champion jockey flat racing in 2015, 2017 and 2018, moved to Hong Kong late last year to revive his career after leaving his position as regular rider for the King Power Racing operation in November 2021. to Hong Kong, the Brazilian rider has ridden 45 winners to finish fifth in the HK jockeys’ championship.
Meanwhile, The King hopes that Circle Of Fire will put forward its claims for a place in the Betfred Derby next month when it tackles the Fitzdares Lingfield Derby Trial.
Sir Michael Stoute’s colt, last runner-up at Newmarket, is 50-1 for the Epsom Classic.