EXCLUSIVE: Saffie Osborne made history on Saturday as she became the first female jockey to win a British Classic at the St Leger Stakes – but the ride hasn’t always been easy
Jockey Saffie Osborne made history becoming the first female jockey to win a classic – but she’s not letting it get to her head.
She remarked: “It’s weird when people say, ‘Oh, it’s changed your life’ because I was no different rider on Friday as I was on Saturday, so I suppose I’m just still going about my job and doing my best on every course.” But all eyes are on the 24-year-old as the former event rider bagged one of British Flat racing’s five Classics in Doncaster on Saturday. Saffie made history at the St Leger Stakes on Highwayman as one of only six female jockeys to have had rides in British Classics in 250 years.
In fact, she was chatting from Ayr Racecourse, moments from going out to ride yet again. From her ‘day job’ to being on the front of newspapers, she continued: “I walked into the BP garage to fill up my car this week and I picked up the paper. Someone looked at the paper, then looked at me and I went bright red straight away. So yes, it’s surreal, but it’s been brilliant.”
As for Saffie’s love of racing, it’s a family affair. Her dad and now frequent trainer, Jamie Osborne, famously bagged five Cheltenham winners in 1992 at the age of 24.
“I’ve been sort of getting messages off of people that I haven’t had for and from in years, and it’s been really nice. I sort of made sure on the day that I spoke to all the people I was closest with, and all the people that had helped me, because they know how hard it is, and how much you go through.”
Despite this, Saffie didn’t manage to speak to her whole family. Her win took place just after Hull City scored against their beloved Chelsea in the Premier League.
Naturally, her brothers cheered when they learnt of her victory. However, sat in the home end they had some frantic explaining to do to avoid altercation.
Jamie said: “As she won the Leger, it coincided with Hull scoring a goal and they jumped up and cheered and nearly got their heads kicked in. They tried to explain, ‘No, no, my sister just won the St Leger’, everyone responded: ‘What’s the St Leger?’”
Saffie added: “I suppose people think with having a father as trainer and former jockey that he’d be sort of handing out advice left, right, and centre. But he really doesn’t.
“He spent the whole of my career just kind of letting me get on with it, and if I needed some advice, then he’d give it to me. I remember him saying to me midway through the season, and I was at a bit of a low point after Royal Ascot, he just said, ‘remember this isn’t forever, you need to enjoy every single moment. Remember how lucky you are to do this every day. You’re not going to get to do this forever.’
“And I think that’s been a big thing for me. People have spoken about what races I’d like to win after this and there’s a whole host.
“But I think first and foremost, I want to continue to enjoy it every day because I feel very lucky to do this. I feel very lucky that people employ me to ride their horses.”
Saffie hasn’t had an easy season, with disappointments at Royal Ascot back in June. In fact, she wasn’t due to ride Highwayman at all. It was her first for trainer Joseph O’Brien, and only came about because of an injury to regular jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle.
She maintains that a lot of a jockey’s career is based on choice and good luck, but she works hard. Saffie also added she doesn’t believe her gender affects her opportunities.
Saffie added: “It’s amazing how a few minutes can completely change your life. I know I’ve worked extremely hard to put myself in the position to get a ride like I did on Saturday, but a lot of things had to happen for me to end up there.
“I am extremely professional. I leave no stone unturned with every horse I ride. I work very hard, but I’ve always been very keen to never lose who I am and lose my personality because I’ve always been a fairly strong character, as my brothers will probably tell you.
“But I’ve never wanted to lose sight of who I am.”
It’s no secret that racing has been a predominantly male dominated sport. Only three of the current top 55 jockeys are female.
Saffie’s own success mirrors that of now-retired National Hunt jockey Rachael Blackmore. The Irish-born jumps legend became the first female jockey to win the Grand National in the 182-year history of the race. She also became the first woman to be leading jockey at the Cheltenham Festival with six victories.
When asked whether she even considers her gender when racing, Saffie opened up: “I don’t really ever think about it. No one in the weighing room, and I don’t feel like any trainer or owner has ever treated me any differently because of my gender.
“I think maybe it’s a good story for the outside and I suppose it’s becoming less and less of a conversation with so few firsts that women haven’t achieved now. We’ve all, at some point, had cross words with one another because it’s a dangerous sport, and we all have to keep each other safe, as well as try and win races.
“Maybe I think about it less and less because I’m in the weighing room every day. And I think at this point I’m just viewed as one of the lads.”
“If you’re good enough, you’ll get these opportunities. If you work hard enough, you will. I don’t think my gender has delayed me getting these opportunities. I think if what happened on Saturday has done anything? Maybe it might encourage more girls to be jockeys, but I don’t think it changes the opportunities that they’ll get because the reality of it is this is a multi million pound industry. People aren’t going to be putting jockeys on their horses that they don’t think are capable.”
Saffie’s hard work is undeniable. She spent years eventing before spending time with trainer Aidan O’Brien in Ireland after leaving school before going further afield to learn from Australian trainer Gai Waterhouse.
“I’ve created my own luck by working very hard to put myself in the position to get those rides. It was one of those moments where I just sat there and felt ‘when is this going to go right for me?’ You kind of have that seed of doubt in the back of your mind saying ‘am I good enough or are people looking at me thinking she can’t produce at the top level’.”
Saffie is also no stranger to injuries. She had her first season as an apprentice in 2020, with her first winner coming in July, although that was cut short when a bad fall at Windsor saw her suffer concussion, broken ribs, a broken arm and a punctured lung.
“You understand when you get a jumping license that the falls are going to be a part of this, and I think I’ve been fairly unlucky. Some people go their whole career without getting injured, and I’ve had a whole host.
“I think I’ve only gone one full season without an injury. So I think each one has been different and difficult in different ways.
“I suppose my first one was in my first year riding, and I was off for a very long time. I was off for six months with that one. I was absolutely battered. It sounds crazy to some people, but it’s never a doubt in your mind. You just get on with it.
“I think the hardest one was probably last year. I’d torn ligaments in my knee two years before that, and that was very frustrating because I was having my best year sort of numbers wise.
“It was gut wrenchingly annoying because I felt like I’d had such a frustrating year and things not quite going right, and it was that sort of constant worry that my career buffeted at a point, and I felt like nothing was kicking into the right place. And I then managed to get everything going again
“I think fear of failure has always really driven me. I know this isn’t going to be forever, and I was always terrified of retiring one day and feeling like I didn’t achieve what I wanted to and a British classic was very high up on that list. I feel a sense of relief.
“Whatever happens for the rest of my career, I can always look back on that day I achieved sort of a childhood dream.”
Saffie was said to have her eyes set on going down under for the Melbourne Cup yet, but says she has no plans “set in stone” but would “love to be there”.
Whatever her next plans, Saffie has her place firmly set in the history books.
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