De Sousa completes 2,000 British winners with Yarmouth victory

Former champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa registered his 2,000th winner in Britain when partnering Neyva’s Angel to victory at Yarmouth.

The Brazilian has been champion three times, in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and has ridden major winners on the likes of Farhh, Arabian Queen and Charyn.

De Sousa, 45, had a long association with Mark Johnston and had a retainer with Godolphin for a few years between 2012-2015 before a spell as number-one jockey for King Power Racing.

“I am incredibly proud to have reached this milestone in my career, after over 20 years as a professional jockey with so many amazing achievements, this is another great thing to have. I would like to thank everyone who made this possible for me,” he said.

“I was just a boy from Brazil, and to have this many winners in Great Britain is just a dream come true. England is my home now, and to do this here is so amazing, I am so lucky to have achieved such success.

“Now being freelance, I get to ride a lot of different horses for different trainers all over Great Britain. I look forward to all the opportunities still to come.”

De Sousa joins an elite list still riding to have reached the milestone that includes Ryan Moore, Luke Morris, Jim Crowley, Jamie Spencer and William Buick.