Silvestre de Sousa\u2019s return to riding in Hong Kong has had a few hitches but he has a few reasons to feel optimistic over the coming week.<\/p>
A visit from his English-based family has raised the spirits, as has the progress of both the Brazilian\u2019s home country and his adopted one in the Fifa World Cup. On the job front, he is set to have a ride in each Group 1 event of Sunday\u2019s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races (HKIR).<\/p>
The pick of the quartet could be Frankie Lor\u2019s Money Catcher, having helped the New Zealand import open his account in Hong Kong in the G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m) in early November. They head for the HK$34 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m), with Hugh Bowman having deputised from the front as the gelding took fifth in the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup at this 2000m trip.<\/p>
\u201cI think he\u2019s an improving horse, I had a commitment with Panfield in his next race after the Ladies\u2019 Purse, I couldn\u2019t jump off. He ran well though,\u201d De Sousa said. “I think this\u2019ll be his trip but we don\u2019t know if he\u2019s that class. He\u2019s a bit laid back and this is an international race, a strong race.\u201d
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The other mount that the 41-year-old knows is Cordyceps Six, a runner in the HK$24 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m), as they were fifth in the recent G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint (1200m).<\/p>
\u201cI was pleased with that run, we didn\u2019t have a smooth run through and I was a bit further back – I didn\u2019t know the horse but that\u2019s the way he likes to run,\u201d De Sousa explained. \u201cHe finishes strong and if they go a bit quicker, it\u2019ll probably be better for him. Let\u2019s just hope things work a bit better than the last time.\u201d<\/p>
He is aware that a stern challenge could come from the same Richard Gibson stable through Wellington, who was only sixth in the same lead-up event.<\/p>
\u201cI think Wellington didn\u2019t have a hard race last time, they had found he had a couple of hiccups after it, but he looks great in the morning,” De Sousa said. “Who knows, anything can happen on international day.\u201d
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His day is completed with Waikuku, having finished third on the veteran in the G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile, as they head for a red-hot HK$30 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m), and a first try aboard Butterfield in the HK$22 million G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Vase (2400m)<\/p>
\u201cI think the Mile will be one of the strongest races of the meeting but Waikuku is thereabouts, he always runs his race and ran a good one last time behind Golden Sixty and California Spangle,” the rider said.<\/p>
\u201cI\u2019ve seen Butterfield run plenty of times, he\u2019s been quite busy already this season and just hope for a good run. He stays the trip well but that\u2019s as far as I know.\u201d<\/p>
That valuable score aboard Money Catcher came at a fixture where De Sousa rode his 100th win in the city as part of a four-timer, but also saw him pick up another ban. It has meant that although he is in the top echelon of the jockey standings for the season, he feels he could have achieved even more.<\/p>
He said: \u201cIt hasn\u2019t helped by getting the suspensions, I\u2019ve been unlucky and I\u2019m not having a smooth run through that, but I\u2019m pleased overall for the Club, the trainers have been giving me support and I\u2019d say when you deliver a winner, they want you again. I\u2019ve been lucky that way and I hope I can build on that.\u201d<\/p>
De Sousa had impressed in several previous winter stints here and decided to fulfil a six-month contract for this season. Much admired for his determination from rising right up through the ranks to become Britain\u2019s three-time champion jockey, he has options to weigh up.<\/p>
\u201cI\u2019ve got a contract, so we\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d he said. “Obviously the biggest problem has been being away from the family, I\u2019ve got young kids and teenagers, so to move them here from England is a big move overall. You have to do things carefully in a way that suits me and suits them as well. But they\u2019re here now to spend Christmas with me, which is great.\u201d<\/p>
It could mean a little unrest in the house, because as long as both his football nations remain still engaged in Qatar through this weekend\u2019s rounds, then they could yet meet in the final.<\/p>
\u201cBy half time I\u2019ll decide who to support!\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>
\u201cIt\u2019s been something to do and to keep your mind off racing. With the time difference it\u2019s been quite difficult to watch live, I have to be up so early the next morning. I usually watch the highlights, I watched both England and Brazil playing and they\u2019ve done a fantastic job with the tournament, it all looks amazing on the TV.\u201d<\/p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”35395″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” onclick=”link_image”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Silvestre de Sousa\u2019s return to riding in Hong Kong has had a few hitches but he has a few reasons to feel optimistic over the coming week.A visit from his English-based family has raised the spirits, as has the progress of both the Brazilian\u2019s home country and his adopted one in… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":35399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"2normal","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35373"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35373"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35467,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35373\/revisions\/35467"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/campaigns.hkjc.com\/hkir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}