Silvestre de Sousa: Win for Pershaada would complete full circle
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Sun 16 Aug 2026
A win for Pershaada in Friday's Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes at York would be a fitting one for Silvestre de Sousa who began his career with a win in the Middleham Park Racing silks.
The lightly-raced two-year-old filly receives plenty of weight from her older rivals in the Group One sprint, and rates a leading contender on the back of an impressive two-length defeat of the previously unbeaten Adonius in the Veuve Clicquot Molecomb Stakes success at Glorious Goodwood.
However, should she win, it's unlikely to be by as far as Sonic Anthem who gave the Brazilian-born jockey a first career win back in 2005; the Dandy Nicholls-trained gelding was a 16-length winner over 11 furlongs on Southwell's fibresand surface in the well-known light blue silks of Middleham Park Racing.
Watch: Relive the moment Arabian Queen fended off Golden Horn in the 2015 Juddmonte International
The three-time British Champion Jockey had one of his finest individual moments on the Knavesmire when guiding Arabian Queen to a shock 50-1 defeat of Golden Horn in the Juddmonte International, though it wasn't as big a surprise to De Sousa who rode the filly at home.
He explained on this week's Luck On Sunday: "She showed me she was good in her work, but she wasn't easy to train. We discussed what could happen, but he [trainer David Elsworth] left it down to me. He thought she would run a good race.
"If they're a bit busy and worry, I try not to interfere with them. It's all about momentum.
"It was the greatest day."
Those big moments are still possible for the rider, despite being 45 years old, but he could face competition in the saddle soon as his 19-year-old son Ryan - who is based with Stuart Williams in Newmarket - nears his race-riding debut.
"He's been riding since he was very young, since he was four basically," explained Silvestre. "I always wanted him to be a jockey but it was up to him to decide.
"I hope it can happen. But for him to finish ahead of me he will have to work hard!
"I will be very proud [if he makes it]. I hope he can be better than me."
If he's half as good as the man with over 2000 winners to his name, then he will have achieved plenty.
Head to our Catch Up section to re-watch the full Luck On Sunday programme, or to our On Demand section for individual interviews.
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