Dubai Becoming successful is not essential a result of starting young. Acclaimed actor F. Murry Abraham and legendary singer Andrea Bocelli are perfect case studies that you can find your calling and make a success of it at any point in your life.
Abraham, who won an Academy Award for the movie Amadeus, only got his first notable role at the age of 45, while Italian pop tenor Bocelli only started singing seriously at the age of 34.
They have since both carved out a niche for themselves in their respective fields.
Silvestre De Sousa, who is set to be crowned British Champion Jockey for the second time in three years, is no different. He only first sat on a racehorse at the age of 18.
But he was quick to make up on lost time and has since won the champion apprentice title and two British championships, the first in 2015 and then again this year.
The industrious Brazilian, who has tirelessly ridden in 1020 flat races across Britain since the season started on May 6 with the Guineas meeting, has amassed a staggering 195 winners. Far more than any other of the hundreds peddling their ware in the country.
To put De Sousa’s achievement in perspective one only has to look at the winners top jockeys like Jim Crowley (138), Ryan Moore (128) and James Doyle (99) have ridden. Luke Morrie, who is the closest to the Brazilian has ridden 141 winners.
The British season culminates on British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday October 21 and those numbers could change, but De Sousa has already comfortably claimed the crown.
But it has not been easy, as he himself acknowledged at York on Friday.
“It feels great to be champion again, in fact it feels better the second time around,” he told ITV Racing.
“It’s not been easy, but this is what I live for, ever day, every week, every month, every year.
“I can’t be more happier doing what I do for a living and I thank everybody who has supported me and made this happen for me.”
Statistics reveal that jockey will drive over 70,000 miles a year going from one racecourse to another.
According to Great British Racing, the sport’s promotional body in the UK, that’s equivalent to driving around the earth along the line of the equator just under three times.
There are many racecourses in Britain, in fact as many as 60, and De Sousa has ridden in the majority of them. And will continue to do so next season as he says, ‘it’s what motivates me.’
De Sousa has come a long way since the days of living in São Paulo.
His biggest win came when he donned the famous royal blue Godolphin silks to ride the Saeed Bin Surour-trained African Story to win the $10 million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in 2014.
The world is his oyster and even if there are no more Dubai World Cups in his trophy cabinet, De Sousa will be happy to travel to any racecourse, just to ride a winner.
“That’s good enough for me,” he says and that’s good news for any owner/trainer.
