Jockey who jumped off horse banned for 18months

A Brazilian jockey based in Malaysia has received a significant suspension and fine following a bizarre incident that drew global attention, in which he appeared to deliberately fall off a favourite at the start of a race.

Lemos “Lai Lai” De Souza, a seasoned jockey, was handed an 18-month suspension and fined RM50,000 (approximately A$18,081) by Selangor Turf Club stewards after an inquiry into his fall from the short-priced favourite Pacific Power at Kuala Lumpur on July 6.

The dramatic fall, which occurred as the gates opened for the 1400m restricted maiden, prompted an immediate investigation. Pacific Power had been a $1.30 favourite on TAB fixed odds in Australia before drifting to $2, while starting at 2.40 on the Malaysian tote.

The incident quickly went viral on social media, with many questioning the legitimacy of the fall. Despite stewards launching an inquiry straight away, proceedings were delayed after De Souza travelled to Singapore for medical treatment and was subsequently stood down.

De Souza also incurred two separate careless riding bans from the same race meeting. However, he later returned to Malaysia and resumed trackwork duties at Sengai Besi, prompting stewards to resume their investigation.

On Monday, De Souza faced the Selangor Turf Club stewards and members of the turf club’s committee, where he was found to have breached Malaysian Racing Association rule 44 (10), relating to conduct prejudicial to the integrity of racing.

Notably, just a day before the inquiry, De Souza rode Pacific Warrior to victory for Pacific Power’s owner Jimmy Poh at the Selangor Mile meeting, further fuelling interest in the outcome of the case.

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