Silvestre de Sousa withdraws his appeal against ten-month suspension for breaching betting rules

Silvestre de Sousa has withdrawn his appeal against the severity of a ban that rules him out of action until next spring.

The three-time champion jockey was suspended for ten months, from May 12 this year to March 11, 2024, after being judged to have breached betting rules while riding in Hong Kong.

His appeal against the severity of that sentence had been due to be heard at 4.30pm local time (9.30am in the UK) on Tuesday, via video conferencing at Happy Valley racecourse.

But the Hong Kong Jockey Club announced on Monday that the appeal had been withdrawn, and the stewards directed that the appeal deposit be refunded.

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to facilitating fellow jockey Vagner Borges in placing a bet on a horse at the original hearing, at which the riders were found in breach of rule 59 (3), which states "no jockey shall bet, or facilitate the making of a bet, or have any interest in a bet, on any race or any contingency relating to a race meeting". Borges was banned for 12 months.

Silvestre de Sousa: relocated to Hong Kong last year after his release as retained rider to King Power RacingCredit: Edward Whitaker

A statement from the HKJC said: "The stewards have approved an application from jockey Silvestre de Sousa to withdraw the appeal lodged by him against the severity of a ten-month disqualification from May 12, 2023 to March 11, 2024 [both dates inclusive], imposed by the stipendiary stewards on May 12, 2023, for a breach of Rule 59 (3). The stewards further directed that the appeal deposit be refunded."

Borges bet on his mount, Young Brilliant, in a 1m1f handicap at Happy Valley on April 26 in contravention of the rules. De Sousa "facilitated" Borges in being able to bet on the horse, who finished seventh with De Sousa's mount Satirical Glory finishing 11th.

The HKJC had accepted the guilty pleas of both riders and noted they both had "an unblemished record in relation to betting offences".

De Sousa is fifth in the Hong Kong jockeys' championship on 45 winners, having relocated there last year after struggling to re-establish himself in Britain after his release as retained rider to King Power Racing.

The bans De Sousa and Borges received are the lengthiest given by the HKJC since Nash Rawiller was given an 15-month suspension in 2018. He was charged with accepting gifts or money in return for race tips. 

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