Saffie Osborne just etched her name into the history books, becoming the first female jockey to win a British Classic horse race! She pulled off the incredible feat aboard Highwayman in the St Leger on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Doncaster Racecourse. Seriously, what a moment.
Highwayman, The Long Shot, Shocks Everyone
Nobody saw this coming. Highwayman, trained by Joseph O’Brien, was sitting at 11-1 odds and still managed to blow past the competition, leaving Enceladus and Amelia Earhart in the dust. Can you even believe it? Osborne herself was totally blindsided, telling ITV Racing, “I didn’t have this on the bingo card for this week. I didn’t have a ride in the race on Monday morning, let alone one with a chance, and I can’t thank so many people enough.” She wasn’t kidding either, getting the spare ride on Highwayman as a reward for her already impressive season. As they hit that long Doncaster straight, Osborne moved into contention, then sent her mount on with just a furlong to go. For a second, it looked like Billy Loughnane and the 5-2 second-favorite Enceladus might make it a real fight, but Highwayman and Osborne just went for it, racing straight into the record books.
History Made on the World’s Oldest Classic
This win wasn’t just any win, either. The St Leger, in its 250th year, is literally the world’s oldest Classic. So yeah, Osborne didn’t just win a race, she dominated a piece of living history. Her achievement also follows in the footsteps of Rachael Blackmore, who broke ground as the first female jockey to win the Grand National back in 2021. Osborne definitely has racing in her blood; she’s the daughter of trainer and former top National Hunt jockey Jamie Osborne, and her mom, Katie O’Sullivan, is a highly regarded equine artist. This wasn’t her first Classic ride, though; she finished eighth on Walker’s Ten Bob Tony in the 2000 Guineas two years ago and even rode Heart Of Honor in the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, two legs of the American Triple Crown. But this? This is different. As she crossed the line, she said, “This means the absolute world and as I crossed the line I was in shock. I just can’t believe it and it just doesn’t feel real.”
What an unbelievable performance! Saffie Osborne just showed everyone what she’s made of, and you can bet the entire horse racing world is buzzing about what she’ll do next. She’s proved she can win big, and that’s exactly what we’ll be watching for.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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