De Sousa enjoys his ‘best’ Championship win

Silvestre de Sousa claims his third Champion Flat Jockey title win is “that extra bit special” than the first two.

The 37-year-old sits 35 winners clear of nearest rival Oisin Murphy in the standings and will be officially crowned champion after the Britain’s richest raceday – the QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday week.

De Sousa’s third win will move him level with the likes of Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori, which gives the title extra significance to him – especially as he endured a slow start to the campaign.

“It means the world to me to win the Stobart Flat Jockeys’ Championship for the third time,” De Sousa said. “There are a lot of incredible jockeys in this country and some very good young jockeys coming through.

“All I want to do is ride more winners every year and give everything, not just for me but for my family as well. I just want to make them proud of what I’m doing and achieving.

“The other two Championship wins were good but this one feels even better. I have put a lot of effort in this year to win the title again and it feels that extra bit special after having such a slow start to the season.

“To have matched Frankie and Ryan is an honour. They are two of the best jockeys in the world and both have won a huge amount of big races.”