Francisco Leandro, or when success is not measured by numbers alone

The Brazilian jockey shone this Friday at Meydan with Blue Trail, celebrating once again to close out a personal challenge with the satisfaction of having given his all and earning his place

Blue Trail and Francisco Leandro understood each other perfectly / DRC

It was no ordinary Friday afternoon for Francisco Leandro. The Brazilian jockey emerged as one of the key figures during the final meeting of the International Carnival at Meydan, winning a beautiful race aboard Blue Trail and playing a fundamental role in one of the great stories of the day.

After a brief interruption in activity due to an alert of potential shelling—which forced a suspension of nearly 25 minutes—the professional found a form of redemption, a reward for his mettle, his consistency, and his desire to push further, never surrendering and seeking triumph despite the adversities.

Perhaps some will focus on the fact that he has recorded three victories throughout the season so far, but that is merely an anecdotal figure for a bid to shine abroad that Leandrinho undertook, even knowing that staying in Argentinawould have meant continuing to rack up wins, statistics, and major prizes.

The competitive hunger of a true beast of the whip led him to Dubai to fight from the ground up against everyone. He arrived under contract with Sky Racing, but within a few weeks, the stable let him go, and his future seemed adrift.

He could have returned, but he didn't. He regrouped, leaned on Julio Olascoaga and Antonio Cintra, and decided to fight on without as much backing, seeking to carve out his own space in a market where competition is the only thing in surplus. Every week, the world's best jockeys join the stable group of riders, attracted by the growing importance of Meydan and their contracts with major owners.

With Blue Trail, Leandro smiled again, snapping a streak of defeats that could have been victories—such as in the Cocoa Beach Stakes, the Jumeirah 1000 Guineas, or the Jebel Ali Classic, to name a few of the races where he was inches away from glory.

And what a story united him this Friday with the son of Teofilo who, in other times, shone for Godolphin and Charlie Appleby—even winning in record time here—but had not visited the winner's circle since November 2023.

In a 70-90 rated handicap over 1800 meters on the turf, Francisco Leandro waited as long as he could with the horse owned by Moustafa Elsaid, angled him out in the straight, and, after a long and untidy rally—veering inward, evidently due to physical issues—ended up sweeping past to win by nearly 2 lengths over Tohoku (Astern).

What followed was marvelous. Kareem Ramadan, the trainer of Blue Trail, has only seven horses under his care—three of them thoroughbreds—and had never managed to win at Meydan until destiny crossed his path with Francisco Leandro.

There was laughter, emotion, tears, and an unforgettable image of Ramadan carrying the jockey on his shoulders, who wore a giant smile. Both enjoyed the moment, and rightfully so.

Francisco Leandro—who would later finish second with Nam Phrik (Hofburg)—will have a few mounts this Sunday at Jebel Ali and will wait to see if any doors open to participate in the Dubai World Cup (G1) meeting before traveling to Japan to continue his campaign there, perhaps thinking of returning to Meydan for 2026/2027. Leandrinho never gave up. He traded winning easy races for having his revenge. No one can say he didn't achieve it, even if many only measure everything by the numbers...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQvOJYoMgr4