Jockey Saffie Osborne on amazing and historic Doncaster St Leger Festival
Jockey Saffie Osborne is looking forward to next week’s Betfred St Leger Festival – scene of one of the best rides of her burgeoning career.
Twelve months ago, Osborne timed her run to perfection on Owen Burrows’ filly Calendar Girl, running down Song Of The Clyde to land the valuable £300,000 Weatherbys Scientific £300,000 2-Y-O Stakes by half a length on Town Moor.
Osborne, who rode a 67-1 double for father Jamie at Ascot today to take her seasonal tally to 66, is hoping for more success at the three-day showpiece, which starts on Thursday.
She told The Yorkshire Post: “It’s been a great season. To be cemented in the top ten of the Championship has been brilliant.
"There have not been many peaks and troughs, a steady flow of winners and a few nice ones in there too – and it’s not over yet.”
With final declarations for Doncaster yet to be made, Osborne, the daughter of the Lambourn-based Flat trainer and former National Hunt rider, is hoping to get rides on all three days.
She said: “I think I will be there most of the meeting. I am definitely there Thursday with the entries done for that.
“It is an amazing festival, the last Classic of the season which is very exciting for everyone.
"There’s always a great atmosphere at Doncaster, they get a big crowd and everyone really enjoys the racing.
“I won the big sales race there last year and that gave me a massive buzz and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Next Saturday sees the 250th running of the St Leger, a moment of real racing history and Osborne said: “Hopefully they will get a good field, as always, this year for the race.
"Even though I don’t have a ride in it and I’m in the sport as a jockey, I am also a massive racing fan and those are the kind of races you love watching.
"It’s a race with a lot of heritage and prestige and the last chance of the season to win a Classic.”
She is hoping to defend her Weatherby’s crown with Starburster on Thursday, saying: "[Owner] Phil Cunningham and [trainer] Richard Spencer love to target all these big festivals and Doncaster is no different.
"Starburster won her maiden at Newbury and she will be heading there.
“Another Spencer and Cunningham horse – Zigazig Ah – won the valuable Super Sprint at Newbury in July and she’ll be going to Doncaster, too. Phil and Richard have had nine individual two-year-old-winners so far this year so there plenty of nice horses there to enter nurseries and sales races and I’m looking forward to it.”
Last month, she rode William Haggas’ Silver Lake to victory in the Sky Bet EBF Fillies' Handicap at the Ebor Festival and said: "I won on her at Glorious Goodwood and then for her to win at the Ebor Festival was very impressive and very good planning from the Haggas team because they all want winners at these festivals, so to do both was impressive.”
August also saw her captain the GB and Ireland side which won the Shergar Cup on its 25th anniversary, riding Great Habton trainer Tim Easterby’s Red Spells Danger to victory in the Shergar Cup Sprint.
"My grandparents are always very happy to see me riding for Yorkshire trainers,” she said. "My dad grew up there and they are from near Wetherby and it was very nice to win on that horse and it is going to be a nice one in the future.”
Osborne’s side finished 19 points clear of Hong Kong (62), with Ryan Moore scoring 47 of their 81 points to take the Silver Saddle.
Afterwards, she sprayed the famously taciturn Moore with champagne but is unsure if he has forgiven her, saying: "He’s spoken to me, but I didn’t ask him that question.
"He did laugh at one point – I don’t know if you could see it on the TV – but I don’t think he was best pleased with me!”
For more information about the Betfred St Leger Festival and to secure tickets, visit doncaster-racecourse.co.uk/racing-highlights/st-leger-festival.