Saffie Osborne becomes first female rider to win a British Classic

Everyone knew history was going to be made, that is why the stands were so full. But not many of the 30,257 who squeezed into Town Moor quite expected it to be made like this.

The countdown to the 250th anniversary running of the world’s oldest Classic had begun almost as soon as the last horse passed the post in the 249th. The whole community had been involved in celebrating the past quarter of a millennium.

But history was made on the day itself at Doncaster and the 2026 St Leger became a major news story in its own right as Saffie Osborne became the first woman to ride the winner of a British Classic.

It came on the course where Alex Greaves had made a significant breakthrough for her sex by winning the Lincoln on Amenable in 1991.

It came after landmark Group 1 victories for her on Nunthorpe dead-heater Ya Malak, for Hayley Turner on Dream Ahead in the July Cup and for Hollie Doyle, who became the first woman to win a Group 1 European Classic on Nashwa in the Prix de Diane. And it came remarkably easily. 

Osborne sent the improving Highwayman to the front over a quarter of a mile from home and never looked in serious danger thereafter. 

Dealing with the emotions was not so straightforward. She punched the air passing the post and admitted afterwards: “I’m in shock. I burst into tears. 

“When I saw it was the 250th year I thought there has to be a good story this year and surely a girl winning it would be quite a good story after 250 years!

“This is the kind of thing that changes your life. No-one can ever take it away from you. Hayley and Hollie are two people I’ve always looked up to enormously and they had their firsts doing things.”

Her mount led home a one-two for Joseph O’Brien, ahead of Billy Loughnane on Enceladus, and was a second Leger winner for the trainer following Galileo Chrome in 2020.

But the call to partner the 11-1 shot took even the jockey by surprise and she said: “I didn’t have that on my bingo card at the start of the week, I didn’t even have a ride in the Leger at the start of the week.

“On Tuesday I suddenly saw it appear on my booked rides. I thought, ‘I’m going to ride in the Leger and I’ve got quite a good one’.

“He’s obviously trained by an absolute master in Joseph and it’s a real honour just to pick up the ride, let alone win a Classic. It’s something we all want to do but did I think at the start of the year I’d be winning a Classic? Absolutely not.”

Osborne had never previously ridden a winner at higher than Group 3 level yet found her first win in top company was not hard fought.

“I was more forward than I originally planned to be but he travelled so beautifully and I hit the front sooner than I planned, if I was going to hit the front, but he kept going well,” she said.

“A furlong and a half out I half felt Billy Loughnane come to my girths and he went again. I crossed the line and I’ve never celebrated before but I’ve never won a race good enough to celebrate in.

Joseph O’Brien, speaking from Leopardstown, said: “To win that was incredible. It’s weird, this morning I woke up and had a good feeling about today. You’re always quite hesitant to say that to anyone because most of the time you’re wrong.”

“It’s special. It’s a historic race and to have the first and second is very special. He was a slow learner initially but he won his maiden well by nine and then won the Listed race and put himself in the race, because we didn’t have many other options.

“Saffie gave him a great ride and I’m delighted for both ownerships, John [Neocleous] and the Niarchos family who own the second, it’s really special.
“I don’t know if Saffie has had many rides for us but obviously today with jockeys all over the place we were delighted to be able to get her when we secured her earlier in the week.”

Owner John Neocleous had been just as wary of predicting success – and just as bowled over when it actually came.

“I’m still in shock but I’m very happy,” he said. “We won the Galway Plate a month ago with King Alexander so it’s been a hell of a summer. This is a different level completely.”

Osborne was having her first ride for O’Brien and had won her first stakes race less than four years previously.

“Saffie is amazing,” Neocleous said. “Joseph came up with Saffie and I was extremely happy with her. She’s an up-and-coming jockey who really knows how to ride a finish. I thought if she rides a good finish, maybe we’ll be placed. 

“I said to her beforehand, ‘Let’s go make history’. I didn’t really believe it but we did.”