Silvestre de Sousa moved past Ryan Moore and into the lead in the Flat jockeys’ title race when his four rides at Leicester on Thursday afternoon yielded a 105-1 treble before a winless visit to Doncaster on Thursday evening. With Moore not expected to ride for at least a month after suffering a neck injury at Newmarket last week, De Sousa is now the third odds-on favourite for the title in the space of a month, at a best price of 8-13.
De Sousa started the day two winners behind Moore with 49 victories during the new, truncated period of the title race which runs from the Guineas meeting in early May until Champions Day at Ascot in mid-October. He reached his half-century on Mark Johnston’s Martini Time, the 9-4 joint-favourite, in the opening nursery handicap, and followed up on Potternello, at 4-1, for Mick Channon in a selling race half an hour later. His third winner was the 11-2 chance Rhythmical, again for Johnston, who was making his racecourse debut in the card’s maiden.
In Moore’s absence, De Sousa’s nearest active pursuer is James Doyle, who has 44 winners in the current season and drew a blank from four rides at Leicester and Doncaster on Thursday. Richard Hughes, the champion for the last three seasons is on 44 after his win on Jupiter Custos at Epsom, and Paul Hanagan, the title winner in 2010 and 2011, is one behind on 43, along with William Buick who rode Blossomtime to victory at Doncaster on Thursday evening. William Hill offer the best price about De Sousa holding on to his lead until October, while Bet365 make Hughes the second-favourite at 6-1 followed by Doyle (10-1), Hanagan (10-1), Moore (14-1) and Buick (14-1).
De Sousa’s previous best finish in the title race is second place behind Hanagan in 2011. As yet, he has not confirmed that he is actively chasing the title, but with Johnston, who supplies a significant number of his rides, continuing in outstanding form, his lead seems as likely to be extended as reduced in the weeks to come.
“It’s very sad for Ryan,” De Sousa said when asked about the title race on Thursday. “I just wish him all the very best and hope he recovers quick and comes back safe.”
Vitor Santos, an apprentice jockey who has taken only eight rides in Britain this season, has been banned for 70 days by the British Horseracing Authority for deliberate failure to ride a horse on its merits in a handicap at Chelmsford City on 17 June.
Santos was slow to leave the stalls on the 5-1 chance and then raced well off the pace before making ground inside the final furlong to finish fifth of the seven runners.
Robert Stephens, the trainer of Chantecler, was not found in breach of the “non-triers” rule. The BHA’s disciplinary panel will publish full written reasons for their decision at a later date.
Toormore, the champion juvenile in the 2013 season, has been bought by the Godolphin operation from his previous owner Middleham Park Racing in a private sale. He will remain with his current trainer Richard Hannon.
The son of Arakan won the Group One National Stakes at The Curragh two seasons ago but was largely disappointing at three after opening the year with victory in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket. He has failed to add another success in seven subsequent starts, although he was only a neck behind his stablemate Night Of Thunder when second in the Group One Lockinge Stakes in May.
