Three time champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa returns to saddle after being out since August 23rd when falling at Chelmsford City on board Alnadir fracturing his collarbone and breaking a bone in his lower neck.
On Friday at Ascot he picks up two rides as he slowly gets himself back to peak fitness when he rides for his retained owners King Power Racing with Fox Leicester in the first contest of the afternoon and King Power in the Veolia Novice Stakes.
De Sousa has 92 wins already this season and is looking to get to the 100 mark for the tenth consecutive season in Britain which is a remarkable achievement, however his overall goal is to be in peak physical and mental condition for British Champions Day at the end of the month.
The rider said: “It’s been hard to miss so much racing, but it could have been a lot worse.
“I’ve been working hard with the physios and in the gym at Peter O’Sullevan House. We’re all very lucky in Newmarket to have such a wonderful facility available.
“I’ve got two rides at Ascot on Friday, and then six on Saturday - five at Ascot and one at Wolverhampton.
“I’m feeling good, but there is nothing like race-riding to improve your fitness. I am looking forward to getting back to work.”
The current Champion Jockey will not be picking up the accolade this season with his injury and now picking up less rides with his new partnership with King Power Racing has halted the amount of winners he is used to getting.
Oisin Murphy looks sure to take the title for the first time and be presented with the trophy on British Champions Day at Ascot.
SDS won the championship first in 2015 and then consecutively in 2017 and 2018 with the Brazilian rider dominating the flat racing scene in Britain for the past part of five years.
With the end of the British flat season getting ever closer the jockey is planning to follow what he did last year and head to Hong Kong where last season he finished fifth in the jockeys standings with 44 winners.
The South American rider earned close to £7.2 million in prize money in his spell in Asia and this season he goes over for longer leaving on November 17th and returning at the end of January.