AUTHOR: Star Sports Content

SILVESTRE DE SOUSA: ‘I knew straight away I was in trouble’

It’s been just under a week since my fall at Chelmsford and I am feeling better with every day that passes.

Looking back at last Friday and it was just one of those things that can happen when race riding.

A gap quickly closes and you are suddenly the meat in the sandwich and end up hitting the deck.

I cannot remember too much as you go from riding a finish to suddenly hitting the ground hard. Very hard.

I knew straight away that I was in trouble. Something didn’t feel right with my shoulder and neck. I was also badly winded.

A friend rang my wife Vicky to tell her that I had been in a bad fall and I was able to ring her back in the weighing room to tell her that I was okay and that we were heading to Cambridge Hospital.

That’s about 35 minutes away in an ambulance and I suppose there probably isn’t a worst time to head to A & E on a Friday night ahead of the weekend.

Anyway, they did the scans and x-rays confirming that I had a minor fracture to my collar bone and Vicky was able to take me home in the early hours of the morning.

I was still in plenty of pain though and it wasn’t plain sailing as the hospital got back in contact again on Saturday morning and took me back in for another 24 hours.

They weren’t completely satisfied with the scans and wanted to look again at the neck and shoulder area. Thankfully that all came to nothing and I got back home again pretty quickly.

It’s now all about rest and recuperation and the doctors reckon it will take about five weeks for me to be pain free and back in action.

I’m still sore and feel very battered and bruised, but I’m determined to get back as soon as I can.

Depending on whether I get passed fit to fly, I may try and get back to Brazil with the family for a couple of weeks – the sunshine may speed up the recuperation.

I’ve been watching the racing and, I won’t lie, it isn’t that easy watching horses you should be riding and maybe winning on!

Obviously, I was thrilled for King Power to watch Shine So Bright win at York last Saturday and James (Doyle) gave him a great ride, but it just makes me all the more determined to get back in the saddle as soon as possible.

I suppose the big and obvious target is to get back for QIPCO Champions Day at Ascot.
It’s an obvious date in the diary and the dream would be to try and get back riding a week or ten days before hand. That’s the goal anyway.

Looking ahead at some of the big races this weekend…

SATURDAY

2.05pm Beverley (Silver Cup)

I mentioned earlier about horses I might have been riding and there is every chance I’d have been on Good Birthday in the opener at Beverley for King Power. The rain earlier in the week will have helped his chances and Andrew (Balding) looks to have found the perfect race for him. Desert Icon and Dark Vision are obviously big dangers, but I’d be surprised if Good Birthday didn’t go very close.

3.00pm Sandown (Atalanta Stakes)

The first of two Group races at Sandown and the race looks ideal for Jubiloso to gain compensation for her defeat at Goodwood. She showed she is a smart filly when third at Royal Ascot and the return to a mile will help too. I’d eb surprised if she wasn’t too good for this lot.

3.35pm Sandown (Solario Stakes)

Only the seven runners but some pretty sharp two-year-olds line up for this. Positive obviously has a favourite’s chance and will take plenty of beating on the back of that Goodwood run. However, I am expecting better from Mark Johnston’s Visinari who created such a good impression on his debut. I know they hold him in the highest regard, and we may not have seen the best of him yet.

Good luck
SILVESTRE


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