Changing of the guard as De Sousa ends O'Shea's 12-year reign in UAE racing

Khaleej Times

13-04-2025

As the curtain fell on another electrifying UAE racing season, it was Silvestre de Sousa who stood tall etching his name into local racing folklore by clinching his first UAE Jockeys' Championship.
And he — the Brazilian-born, British-based rider — did it in emphatic style, ending the remarkable 12-year reign of champion jockey Tadhg O'Shea in a gripping title race that went down to the wire.
De Sousa finished the season with 54 wins, seven clear of O'Shea, sealing the deal in the final stretch of the campaign. It was his dominant ride aboard Dubai Future in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at the glittering Dubai World Cup meeting that all but wrapped things up, giving him a decisive edge heading into the final meetings at Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.
'I'm just delighted with the kind of season I've had,' De Sousa said. 'To be the leading rider in my first full season in the UAE means a lot. It's never easy — especially here in the UAE where it is ultra-competitive. But I had incredible support from the boss (Musabbeh Al Mheiri) and the Yas Racing team. I'm really grateful.'
It was a season of comebacks and crowning moments. For Emirati trainer Musabbeh Al Mheiri, it was a return to glory. A decade after his first title in the 2014–15 season, the 64-year-old veteran rolled back the years to take home his second UAE Trainers' Championship with 40 winners. He edged out Jebel Ali Stables handler Michael Costa (38) who had to settle for second place for the second successive year despite an epic season and former three-time Champion handler Ernst Oertel (36) in one of the most hotly contested battles in recent memory.
'It was a very competitive season, more competitive than the first time I won, I think,' said Al Mheiri. 'There are so many good trainers and talented horses around now. To finish on top again after all these years — it's really special.'
Al Mheiri, who as a youngster rode bareback races on the beaches of Ajman, never imagined a future like this. Just last year, he saddled his 500th winner, and this year he stood head and shoulders above his rivals.
On the ownership front, the powerhouse that is Yas Racing — under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice-President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, — clinched the coveted Owners' Championship. Their Purebred Arabian operation was as formidable as ever, with De Sousa often the man guiding their contenders to the winner's circle.
For De Sousa, 44, it's another chapter in an extraordinary global journey. A three-time British champion jockey and winner of the 2014 Dubai World Cup aboard African Story for Saeed bin Suroor and Godolphin, the Brazilian's UAE story has been long in the making. He first rode here two decades ago, but only now, after committing to a full campaign, has he claimed the top spot.
'I've been coming here for years,' he said. 'But this time felt different. I had strong partnerships and the hunger to push all the way. Riding for Musabbeh and Yas Racing gave me a real platform, and winning again in Godolphin blue on World Cup night — that was the cherry on top.'
And as the 2024-2025 UAE racing season wrapped with fireworks over Abu Dhabi and the echoes of cheering fans still lingering at Meydan where it hosted the 29th running of the Dubai World Cup, it was clear: the UAE racing scene had delivered yet another unforgettable chapter.
Final Standings
UAE Trainers' Championship 2024-25:
Rank / Trainer Wins Prize Money (AED)
1 Musabbeh Al Mheiri 40 6,279,020
2 Michael Costa 38 6,853,810
3 Ernst Oertel 36 2,586,080
4 Bhupat Seemar 33 15,038,690
UAE Jockeys' Championship 2024-25
Rank / Jockey Wins Prize Money (AED)
1 Silvestre De Sousa 53 9,665,280
2 Tadhg O'Shea 46 11,201,530
3 Connor Beasley 43 18,264,680
4 Sandro Paiva 27 1,907,780
5 Ray Dawson 26 5,686,980.