Immense grief in Brazil: talented jockey Leandro Henrique dies at age 27

Leandro Henrique, one of the most brilliant jockeys of his generation in South America, passed away at the age of 27, leaving the Brazilian and international racing communities in deep mourning

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Special for Turf Diario).— Some news is impossible to write without deep pain. Leandro Henrique passed away during the early hours of this Wednesday, August 19, at 27 years old, after fighting for his life since Sunday, when he suffered a severe fall during the second race of the card at Hipódromo da Gávea.

Brazilian racing is in mourning. One of its most talented and beloved jockeys has departed, a professional who built an extraordinary career from a very young age and still had so much road left ahead of him.

Following the accident, Leandro received immediate medical attention from the track medical staff and was rushed to Hospital Miguel Couto. On Tuesday, he was transferred to Casa de Saúde São José in Humaitá, where he remained under intensive care until his passing.

Born in Pernambuco, Henrique was connected to horses for as long as he could remember. At 9 years old, he began his training at the Escola de Pôneis in Recife, and just five seasons later, at 14, he was already competing at Hipódromo da Madalena. The next step was Rio de Janeiro, where his talent would not take long to explode.

He scored his first win at Gávea on June 7, 2015, aboard Urbanesco (Tiger Heart) for Stud JIFE. What followed was a meteoric rise. In the 2016/2017 season, at just 16 years old, he captured the jockey premiership at Brazil's main racetrack, becoming the only apprentice from the Escola de Profissionais do Turfe of the Jockey Club Brasileiro ever to achieve such a feat.

From his very first steps, he had Danilo Aglio by his side, his jockey agent and inseparable companion throughout a career that quickly filled with major victories.

His signing by Haras Anderson opened another crucial chapter. Carrying the colors of the Stabile family, he found consistency and top-tier success. One of the defining moments of his ascent came with Emperor Roderic (Roderic O'Connor), bred by Anderson himself and racing for Stud Pedudu, with whom he won the Grande Prêmio Cruzeiro do Sul - Derby Brasileiro (G1), securing the first G1 victory of his career.

However, whenever asked about the best horse he had ever ridden, Leandro never hesitated: London Moon (Agnes Gold).

With that remarkable runner, representing first Haras Anderson and later Haras Sweet Carol, he forged a formidable partnership. Together, they captured the Copa Precocidade e Velocidade of the ABCPCC, the Grande Prêmio Jockey Club Brasileiro (G1), the Grande Prêmio Estado do Rio de Janeiro (G1), and the Grande Prêmio Presidente da República (G1), the race in which London Moon made his final career start.

Another unforgettable milestone arrived in 2021. Riding the Argentine-bred Casa Blanca (Roman Ruler) for Haras Santa Maria de Araras, Leandro reached his 1,000th victory—and not in just any race: it came while capturing the Grande Prêmio Henrique de Toledo Lara (G2).

Yet 2025 will forever remain the most special year of his life. Away from the track, he became a father to Manoela, his daughter with trainer Victoria Mota. And on the track, he achieved the triumph every Brazilian jockey dreams of: the Grande Prêmio Brasil (G1).

He did so aboard Sinsel (Alpha), racing for Stud Red Rafa, adding his name to the history of his country's grandest contest. It was a victory that distilled years of hard work, sacrifice, and growth since his days as a boy riding ponies in Recife.

He had recently been retained by Haras Santa Maria de Araras, yet another testament to the immense prestige he had earned within the industry. For that powerhouse stable, he guided Passion Of Detail (Hofburg) to victory in the Grande Prêmio Margarida Polak Lara - Taça de Prata (G1), which would prove to be the final major triumph of his career.

It all happened so fast. His arrival from Pernambuco, that first victory in 2015, winning the jockey championship as virtually a kid, his first group races, Emperor Roderic, London Moon, reaching 1,000 wins, Sinsel, and the GP Brasil...

And, above any race, Manoela.

Leandro Henrique was only 27 years old. An age that makes it all the more difficult to accept news that strikes right at the heart of South American racing.

His great victories and an extraordinary career will endure. The memory of the talented jockey who arrived from Recifeto conquer Gávea and become one of its iconic figures will remain. And above all, the immense warmth he generated among everyone who shared the track and life with him will never be forgotten.

Brazilian racing lost one of its finest this Wednesday. Far too soon.