Superb Saffie Osborne makes history in 250th running of the St Leger
Thousands flocked to Doncaster on Saturday to see history being made in the 250th St Leger – but it perhaps didn’t end with the story they were expecting – as Saffie Osborne became the first woman to win an English Classic.
The build-up to the Town Moor showpiece had been all about whether all-conquering Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien could equal the record set in 1841 by Malton’s John Scott of four successive wins on a landmark day for the world’s oldest and longest Classic.
But Osborne, riding Aidan’s son Joseph’s apparent second string, Highwayman (11-1), ripped up the script to create her own piece of racing history with a brilliant ride.
A huge roar went up from the 30,000-plus crowd as Osborne took the lead inside the final three furlongs, with the rapidly-improving horse responding to her urgings to forge clear, running on strongly to the line to defeat stablemate Enceladus (5-2) and Billy Loughnane by two-and-a-half lengths.
Aidan O’Brien did get a place with Amelia Earhart (25-1), but the day belonged to Osborne.
Only last Saturday, she told The Yorkshire Post how she wasn't expecting to ride in the one mile, six furlongs and 115 yards contest.
But that suddenly changed on Tuesday when she picked up the ride on Highwayman with many Irish jockeys, like the two O’Briens, engaged over at Leopardstown for the Irish Champions meeting.
Osborne, 24, a fantastic ambassador for the sport, didn’t waste the opportunity and was hugely popular winner on Town Moor.
She is the daughter of former National Hunt jockey and Lambourn-based Flat trainer Jamie Osborne, who grew up in Yorkshire, while her grandparents live near Wetherby.
The rider, whose career has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years was overcome with emotion afterwards busting into tears after crossing the line.
She said: “I’m in shock! I burst into tears!
“I was in front and I knew I hadn’t seen anyone from two out and then I felt Billy (Loughnane, on Enceladus) come to my girth, but he went again and going across the line… I’ve never celebrated before as I’ve never won a race good enough to celebrate, but to win that was incredible.
“I found out on Tuesday, it just appeared on my booked rides and I thought, ‘oh I’ve got a ride in the Leger – oh jeez, I’ve got quite a good ride in the Leger!’.”
Presented with her prize by the Princess Royal, Osborne continued: “I was more forward than I’d planned to be, but he travelled so beautifully I didn’t mind.
“But he kept going well and he’s obviously trained by an absolute master in Joseph.
“When I saw it was the 250th year I thought, ‘surely there has to be a good story this year’, and I just thought a girl winning it was quite a nice one after 250 years! This is the kind of thing that changes your life, no one can take it away from you, I still can’t believe it, I’m in shock.”
Aidan O’Brien’s Scandinavia (1-3) completed the English-Irish Leger double at the Curragh yesterday.