Groundbreaking jockey Saffie Osborne hopes her excellent year will continue when she tackles racing in Hong Kong for the first time.
Osborne, 24, became the first female jockey to ride the winner of a British Classic when partnering Highwayman to a momentous victory in the G1 St. Leger in September.
It was the latest historic feat for the rider, who proved herself on the international stage by becoming the first woman to ride a winner at Meydan Racecourse in 2024.
With Dubai ticked off, Qatar followed shortly afterwards.
While her win aboard Joseph O’Brien’s late-maturing colt at Doncaster Racecourse marked a first top-level victory, Osborne has been striking with increasing regularity in big races and was crowned the winner of the World Pool Jockeys’ Championship at Ascot on British Champions Day.
She is also on the verge of eclipsing her previous best annual tally of winners from 2024.
Living the dream
“I think this is the first year of my career that I’ve truly enjoyed every moment,” Osborne said.
“I wasn’t in the country until April and then I had 20 winners in May, and it just kept rolling from there. It’s been amazing.
“I feel like I’ve been able to really relax into the rhythm of the season and I’ve been lucky to ride lots of big winners at all the big festivals.”
Osborne’s Hong Kong stint will run from 8 November until 23 December, and she has been paying increased attention to the action at Sha Tin and Happy Valley since racing returned this season in the hope of familiarising herself with the challenge ahead.
She added: “I’ve been speaking to a lot of people about it and just trying to understand it as best as possible.
“I’ve watched a lot of racing from Hong Kong over the years. It’s going to be something completely different, and I sometimes have to remind myself that 12-year-old Saffie would think that my life is the coolest thing ever.
“I get to travel around the world riding horses and it doesn’t get much better than that.
“I’ve always dreamed of going to Hong Kong and this time last year I probably never thought the opportunity would arise.”
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Two demanding racecourses
Osborne hopes to gain a fresh perspective from the experience and has already approached several jockeys for tips about riding at the city’s two notoriously demanding circuits.
Few jockeys are in better form, but she remains realistic about her prospects.
“I don’t think I’ve met anyone with a bad word to say about racing in Hong Kong,” she stated.
“The atmosphere is incredible. The racing, jockeys and horses are all high-class, so it’s where you want to be.
“I asked people about riding at Happy Valley and they said to imagine Chester the other way round, but 10 times tighter.
“I’ve been practising getting my horses out of the gates pretty fast the last few weeks.
“It’s very exciting and it can only further your progress as a jockey by learning different things each place you go to.
“I’m just looking forward to the experience and hopefully I ride a couple of winners, because I know that’s pretty hard.”
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