Silvestre De Sousa celebrated his first full season in the UAE with a maiden jockey’s championship title.
The Brazilian, who has ridden over 4,000 winners around the world, topped the chart with 54 winners, seven ahead of the 12-time UAE champion jockey Tadhg O’Shea.
The two men had been neck and neck, but De Sousa increased his lead to five after steering the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Dubai Future home in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at the Dubai World Cup meeting, and had the championship virtually in the bag with the last two meetings to go in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.
De Sousa’s success was achieved through fantastic partnerships with Emirati trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri and the Purebred Arabian powerhouse of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed’s Yas Racing, the champion trainer and owners, respectively, of the 2024/25 season.
De Sousa rounded off the season by riding the Majid Al Jaoori-trained So’ud to victory in the Group 3 Arabian Triple Crown Round 3 in the silks of Yas Racing at the Abu Dhabi Turf Club on Saturday.
“I'm just delighted with the kind of season I've had, especially to be the leading rider in my first full season in the UAE,” De Sousa told The National.
“It's not easy and that too in my first time in a full season in the UAE. I’m grateful for the support I received from trainer Musabbeh and the owners this season.”
De Sousa, 44, is a three-time British champion jockey (2015, 2017 and 2018) and winner of the 2014 Dubai World Cup on the Bin Suroor-trained African Story, also in the royal blue silks.
He was champion apprentice in Brazil before leaving for Ireland in 2010 and England the following year, establishing himself as one of the leading jockeys in the world.
“I've been around the world. And yeah, I think when you put everything in your career, it's nice to see it pay off,” he said.
“Obviously, I have many people to thank for the successful season I had in the UAE. It was great riding for trainer Musabbeh and Sheikh Mansour’s Yas Racing. I have been to the UAE for a long time but never thought I would ride a full season until this time.
“It was a really nice feeling to win the championship title and also winning the Dubai Gold Cup for Godolphin at the Dubai World Cup meeting. Yeah, I’m taking back a lot of good memories from the UAE this time.
“I go everywhere trying to ride winners and ride some nice horses. It's nice to have a win on the final night in the silks of Sheikh Mansour’s Yas Racing.”
De Sousa made his first visit to the UAE to ride in a few meetings in the 2004/05 season and returned in 2012 to ride his first winner on Bin Suroor’s Songcraft in the Godolphin silks.
He won the 2014 Dubai World Cup on African Story for Bin Suroor and Godolphin and counts 166 winners overall in the UAE.
For Al Mheiri, one of the longest serving trainers in the country, it was his second trainer’s title after previously saddling 49 winners in the 2014/15 season.
“I’m grateful to the owners who had faith in me, and yes, it’s my best ever season and a really tough one to finish on top of the charts,” the Emirati trainer said.
“It was really nice to have had Silvestre on many of my horses. He was brilliant and he’s a three-time British champion jockey.
“To saddle winners nowadays is so tough with so many trainers and good horses at every stable. So, winning the trainer’s title this time around definitely is a better season for me, personally."
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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