Jockey Leandro Henrique will never forget his first ever victory in Brazil’s biggest race, the G1 Grande Premio Brasil (2400m) at Gavea on Sunday – but it could so easily have been unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.
Run in the shadow of Rio de Janeiro’s famous Cristo Redentor (Christ The Redeemer) statue, the Grande Premio Brasil is the country’s equivalent of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Pre-race, much of the attention was on Joao Moreira, who returned to Brazil after riding Satono Reve into second in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot barely 24 hours earlier. Moreira had won the Grande Premio Brasil the last two years aboard Raptor’s and Obataye and was again aboard Obataye on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Henrique was riding Group 1-winning three-year-old Sinsel, who was sent out as the $6.60 second favourite behind star filly Ethereum.
Chasing a hot tempo, Henrique was swinging off the Luis Esteves-trained Sinsel at the 500m and took the lead from grey Galo White at the 300m. However, Sinsel wandered about badly and never managed to get more than a length clear of Ethereum.
At the 50m, the rider clearly thought he had done enough and started celebrating wildly. He could not see the hard-charging Valparaiso hard against the rail, who was closing at a rate of knots under Wilkley Xavier. Ethereum, too, was raising another effort.
The slow motion replay showed that Valparaiso had even managed to draw level, if not in front, centimetres before the post. However, on the line, Sinsel was in front by a nose, giving Henrique the luckiest of escapes.
Still, it was not yet over. Ethereum’s rider José Aparecido da Silva lodged an objection for interference, although that was quickly dismissed by stewards and Sinsel was declared the official winner.
“I’m still at a loss for words, I’m in shock because of the finish,” Henrique told Jockey Club Brasileiro post-race. “I didn’t see the horse on the inside, I was just caught up in the moment and celebrating because I have dreamed about winning this race and also my daughter is arriving soon. I am very happy but I am very relieved.
“I want to apologise to Mr Esteves and to the owners, Stud Red Rafa. This will never happen again.”
He later added: “Many people are judging me for not being cold, but only those who have ridden horses know what is really going on there when you are about to win the most important race in the country. It is indescribable.
“Thank God, I realised the threat in time and guaranteed victory. I have spoken with the trainer and the owners, everything is fine and we resolved it ourselves. In the end, racing is about one thing – crossing the finish line first. And I did it.”
The baby-faced Henrique, whose braces make him look younger than his 26 years, first made international headlines when he was invited to the 2017 International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley in Hong Kong aged 18.
It is not the first time this year that Henrique has gone viral.
In January, Henrique and his pregnant wife Victoria Mota – a jockey-turned-trainer who finished ahead of riders like Ryan Moore, Luis Saez, Maxime Guyon, Ryusei Sakai, Damien Oliver and Saffie Osborne in last year’s International Jockeys’ Challenge in Riyadh – used a match race at Gavea to announce the gender of their baby.
Mota is currently 38 weeks’ pregnant and is expected to give birth to a baby girl, already named Manuela, in the days ahead.
The Grande Premio Brasil is a “win and you’re in” race for the G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf, meaning Sinsel has secured a berth at Del Mar in November. He is the fifth horse who has won a direct spot in the mile and a half feature, alongside Intense For Me, Danon Decile, Meisho Tabaru and Ombudsman.
Moreira finished seventh on Obataye. Earlier in the card, he was a length third on Sushi Do Iguassu in the G1 Grande Premio Jockey Club Brasileiro (1600m).
His rush from London to Rio de Janeiro was rewarded, though, when he won the G3 Grande Premio ABCPCC (2500m) on Jimbongo. ∎
